


Like The Fairytales {H.S.}

by accioginger



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: College, Daddy Kink, Drama, Dysfunctional Family, F/M, Family, Family Drama, Fluff, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-13
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2019-03-17 14:27:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 81,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13660896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/accioginger/pseuds/accioginger
Summary: He's unlike any guy I've ever met in my life - stunningly handsome, wicked smart, incredibly infuriating, and he wants ME. But so do 15 million other girls - who wouldn't want Harry Styles for themselves? This is the story of how I found my happily ever after, but not smoothly, of course, with the one and only Harry Styles.





	1. Chapter 1.

I've always loved fairytales. There's always been something so beautiful about the simplicity of it - a girl wishing for something more, and it practically falls out of the sky in the form of a handsome prince, and they live happily ever after the end. I've imagined my own fairytale time and time again, but never in my life did I think that I would ever have it become reality.

 

My name is Anna Gagliano, and this is how I got my happily ever after.

 

The sun shone through the open windows of my car as the warm spring air blew through our hair. On a beautiful Monday afternoon, being in a car with my best friend was much more enjoyable than being in a lecture hall - you know, if that friend would stop bouncing up and down like a rabbit. "Ellie, calm down! You're gonna go through the damn roof!" I said, laughing at my friend. She shot me a nasty look from the passenger seat, and I laughed again. I couldn't blame her for being excited, honestly. We were finally picking up Josh and his gang of idiots for his and Ellie's wedding. As we reached the airport and pulled into a parking space, Ellie clambered out and rushed towards the terminal. I shouted and ran after her, grabbing her just inside the doors. "ELLIE! Don't ditch me like that! We have to stay together in here." Ellie looked at me like I was crazy. "Have you seen my hair? We could be at Coachella and you wouldn't lose me." I laughed and shrugged, looking at her bright ginger hair.

We wandered around the terminal for a little while, waiting impatiently for the boys to arrive. As I checked my watch for what felt like the hundredth time, I heard a loud British accent yell, "Ellie!" Both Ellie's and my heads snapped up, and she gasped happily when she saw Josh dropping his stuff on the ground and hurrying over with a huge smile on his face. Ellie ran to him and literally jumped into his arms, clinging to him. I stood up and smiled softly at them, slinging my purse on. I had always had doubts about Josh, him being in a boy band and all, but he had really proven to everyone that he loved Ellie. The way he looked at her was what sold me on him. He treated her like an absolute queen, and after a few months, I knew he was the one.

"Mate, I know she's your fiancée, but for Christ's sake, pick up your crap!" Someone yelled at Josh. I looked towards the voice and my heart almost jumped into my throat. One Direction was walking through the terminal in all their swaggering British stardom glory, and effectively making my heart lose several beats per minute. They walked up and I did my best to collect myself, trying to look a little more like a mature young lady instead of a flustered starstruck fangirl. "Ellie? Aren't you going to introduce us?" Niall said, looking me up and down while he gave Ellie a hug. Ellie smiled and pulled me forward, and I flushed pink at the sudden spotlight. "Guys, this is my lovely friend and bridesmaid, Anna Gagliano. Anna, these are the idiots." Liam started to speak up indignantly, but I interrupted him. "Don't worry, it's okay. I know your names." The boys stared at me, some with raised eyebrows and some with amusement and I flushed bright red, realizing how much like a fangirl I sounded. Ellie laughed and wrapped her arm around Josh's waist, smirking at me. "First, middle, AND last names." The boys all looked amused and interested now, and one by one, they asked me what their full names were. "Niall James Horan." "Liam James Payne." Niall and Liam fist bumped and I rolled my eyes. "Louis William Tomlinson." I looked at Harry, who had been waiting very patiently. He was my favorite among all the boys, so I decided to mess with him a little. "Harry Styles." The boys laughed and Harry raised his eyebrows, staring at me. "You're almost there, love." His deep voice sent shivers down my spine, and I bit my lip, fighting the urge to totally give in. "Harold Styles?" He signed, feigning annoyance. "You got them all right except for mine? I'm insulted." I smiled, crossing my arms and looking up at him. "Harry Edward Styles, the ridiculously tall bakery boy from Cheshire." Harry stepped forward so that he was right in front of me, our bodies almost touching. "Not bad, love. I think I deserve to know your name now." He said quietly. I couldn't look away from him. I wanted to keep my face down and blush bright red, but it was like our eyes had locked onto each other. Girls had said before that Harry had the greenest eyes they'd ever seen, almost like emeralds, but they were totally wrong. He had these beautiful eyes, a mix of barely-there blue and foamy green, that reminded you of warm ocean waters. His gaze held you and when he looked at you, and it made you feel like it was only the two of you in the room. "Annalisa Elisabetta Gagliano. The ordinary girl from Durham." I said quietly, stuttering a little. I knew I looked like an idiot. Bright red, unable to speak, and fidgeting. Harry smiled at me, his dimple showing slightly. "Beautiful." I couldn't tell if he was talking about me or my name, but I was sure that I was flaming red at this point. I finally turned away from Harry to look at the group. "Okay, uh, who's hungry?" I said, desperate to break the conversation. "I'm starved." Ellie said with a shit eating grin on her face. Josh, who had a similar face, nodded in agreement. I glared at the both of them, turning and leading the way out of the airport.

We drove back into Durham and stopped at Elmo's Diner on Ninth Street, a place close to my house. Not long after we were seated, I heard a familiar voice say, "A sweet tea, then baked spaghetti with a dinner roll, right?" I looked up and gasped in delight. "Jacob! I didn't know you worked here!" I said, getting up and hugging him tightly. "Just for the summer, then I'm headed out to Charlotte for a job. Elon already had their graduation." Jacob said, hugging me back. "Anna? You wanna introduce us?" I heard Josh say behind me. "Oh sorry! Guys, this is Jacob. We went to high school together. Jacob, this is Ellie and Josh, who are getting married this weekend. And that's Liam, Sophia, Niall, Louis, and Harry." Jacob looked at the boys, then at me. "That's One Direction! Oh shit, you were obsessed with them!" He said, laughing. I glared at Jacob, blushing in embarrassment and crossing my arms. "Any kind of tip you might be getting is looking smaller and smaller every second." I said in a flat voice. Jacob held his hands up in surrender and hugged me, trying not to laugh anymore. "Sorry, sorry. So, what would you guys like to drink?" He said, turning to the rest of the group as I sat down. "Diet Coke, thank you." "Sweet tea." "Water, thanks." "Sprite." "Same as him." "Lemonade, if you have it." "Do you serve beer? No? Okay, Coke." "Dr. Pepper for me!" Jacob nodded, writing down the last drink before smiling at us. "Alright, I'll be right back with those. It's great to see you again, Anna." He grinned at me, squeezing my shoulder before walking away.

"Jesus, I never thought I'd see his face again." Ellie said, laughing. I nodded and rolled my eyes, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. "He's so full of himself." I laughed, shaking my head. "He seems really into you, Anna." Sophia said, grinning suggestively. I gagged a little and she laughed, giving me a stern look. "Come on, he looks like a nice boy." She said reproachfully. "She could do better." I heard Harry grumble, probably hoping that no one could hear. I looked at Harry and saw him watching Jacob as he filled up our cups. "Someone's jealous!" Josh said in a sing-song voice, and Harry shot him a dirty look and I covered my mouth to muffle my laugh. "Relax, Styles. Jacob is such a player, I could never be with a guy like that." I said, shrugging and running my hand through my hair. "So, are you two excited about getting married?" I asked Josh and Ellie, quickly changing the subject before anyone else could comment on how Jacob was quite obviously staring at me from the servers' station. 

At the end of the meal, Josh grabbed the check before any of us could, and burst out laughing. "Oh shit, this is priceless!" He said, taking a photo of the receipt. "What?" I said, leaning over to look at the bill. "He wrote his number on there for you!" Ellie said, cackling. "Oh good god..." I said, covering my eyes in embarrassment. "Aww Anna, that's so cute! You should ring him!" Sophia said, looking at the receipt. I rolled my eyes, taking the last sip of my sweet tea. "Not gonna happen. He already has my number, and he knows I have his. He just hasn't seen me in 3 years and remembered how nice it was to have someone chasing him. So, he's trying to reel me back in." I said plainly, leaning back in my seat. "Christ, what a douche." Louis said, laughing. I nodded, laughing with him. "I decided a while ago that I'm done chasing guys. I'm gonna let them chase me." Harry looked at me, eyebrows raised. "Are you gonna let any of them catch you?" I smiled, pitching in a dollar for the tip as we got up. "Maybe. He has to be special. Stand out from the others. Tries too hard, but it's cute. Isn't afraid to show that he loves me." I said, pushing in my chair. As we walked out of the diner, I saw Jacob wave from behind the counter. Before I could wave back, Harry placed his hand on the small of my back, leading me out of the restaurant, knowing full well that Jacob was watching. "Caught ya." Harry whispered in my ear, making me bite my lip to hold back my smile. "Nice try, Styles." I said, moving away from his touch and catching up with the group. I knew Harry's "reputation", and I wasn't going to let myself be roped into his vicious flirting cycle so easily. I wasn't going to let myself end up like those models he seemed to get tired of after a few weeks. I respected myself more than that. Or at least I thought I did.


	2. Chapter 2

We decided to go to the hotel where the boys, Sophia, and Josh would be staying to get them checked in and settled. We were all relaxing in one of the suites when my phone started to ring. I saw the caller ID and groaned, excusing myself for a minute. "Hello?" "Ciao tesoro! Hai trovato le banane che ti ho lasciato?" I rolled my eyes and sighed at my mother's voice. "Mamma, you know you're supposed to speak English as much as possible, even with me," I said reproachfully. "I do know this, but when I speak to my figlia, I will speak in my tongue." I close my eyes and slumped a little, giving up. "Va bene, mamma, qualunque cosa tu voglia. E sì, ho trovato le banane, grazie. Faccio il pane in pochi giorni." She talked to me for a few minutes before saying goodbye, reminding me to bring some bread over, and that she loved me. I plopped back down on the couch, and the boys were looking at me, a little impressed. "You speak Italian?" Louis asked curiously. I nodded, tossing my phone on the coffee table. "Yeah. I mean, I was born in Sicily, so I'm fluent. English is my second language." I said, letting my hair down out of its tight ponytail. "When did you come to America?" Sophia asked, genuinely interested. I was liking this girl more and more by the minute. "I was almost 10. My father left before I was born, so Mamma was always looking for better jobs to support the both of us. She got a job offer in America that she couldn't pass up, so we packed up and came to the Land of Opportunity. For all intents and purposes, I'm an illegal immigrant, since I'm not a U.S. citizen." I laughed. Sophia's eyes widened and Liam looked at me with concern. "Can you get deported?" I shook my head, tucking my legs under me. "I have a green card, so I'm protected by the government. If I want to stay, I'll have to become a naturalized citizen. But honestly, I'll probably go back to Italy. La mia famiglia vive lì, e mi piace la mia lingua." I laughed. "Say something else." Harry said, grinning. "Sei incredibilmente attraente e voglio che tu cazzo sulla soda," I said, my eyes locking with Harry's, smiling at him. "I have absolutely no idea what you just said, but it sounds hot." Niall said from beside Harry. I laughed and leaned back, tucking my legs under me. "Oh, it was." I smirked, hearing Ellie snort. Harry laughed and scooted closer to me, smiling. "Vous êtes la plus belle fille que j'ai vue aux États-Unis." He said quietly. I blushed and smiled at him, biting my lip. "You're very sweet, but you haven't seen the whole United States yet. You never know who's out there." Niall burst out laughing, and Harry sat back, his mouth open a little. "Do you speak any other bloody languages?" I giggled and shrugged, smiling shyly. "Italian schools are only half days. I got bored a lot. So, je peux parler français, puedo pasar en español, and my Portuguese is total shit." I say, earning a laugh from the group. "Harry thinks cultured girls are hot!" Josh piped up from the couch opposite me. I flushed and looked at Harry, who shrugged. "Smart is sexy." I giggled and smiled at him, and could see out of the corner of my eye Ellie poking Josh in his side excitedly, grinning at the two of us.

The boys flipped on a movie, but Harry and I spent the time whispering to each other in French and English, making fun of the movie. "This is the most cliche movie I've ever seen." I murmured. Harry wrapped his arm around me and whispered back. "Je pense que vous pourriez avoir raison. Ses abdos sont peints sur, et je l'ai entendu trois mauvaises lignes de ramassage dans les 20 dernières minutes." I snuggled into his side, smiling when he tightened his arm around me. "Ho dimenticato quanto è bello quando qualcuno ti tiene come questo." I said quietly. Harry rolled his eyes, knowing that I wouldn't translate and he had to figure it out for himself. I looked over and saw Ellie looking at me, smiling. It wasn't teasing or suggestive, though. It was sweet and small. "You look happy." She mouthed. I blushed and smiled bashfully, looking away. I didn’t know why I was feeling this way, or why Harry seemed to have the power to make my insides turn to jelly every time he looked at me.

\----

Harry was confusing. He was the playboy superstar, destined to be a bachelor forever, chasing skirts till he died. But here he was, acting possessive over me after having known me for only two days. Tonight, Josh was taking us all out to dinner, and I secretly hoped that Harry would keep up his whole faux-you're mine act. It felt nice to have someone chasing after me for once, and it didn't hurt that that someone was Harry fucking Styles. I slipped into my light pink dress with a flowy skirt and nude platform heels and started to apply a light layer of makeup – a smoky eye with winged eyeliner and a soft pink lipstick. I was pinning up one side of my long dark hair when Ellie walked in, wearing her cream-colored lace dress and bright red heels that clashed wonderfully with her vibrant ginger hair. "You look fab, girl!" She said. "Harry is gonna die when he sees you!" I rolled my eyes and laughed and finished applying my makeup, putting some of it into my clutch. "I doubt it. Harry's such a flirt; he'll look at me then notice the next pretty girl that walks into the restaurant." Ellie rolled her eyes and grabbed my hand, pulling me towards the main hallway and out the front door, where a car that Josh had sent was waiting. I grinned at Ellie and said, "He really does treat you like a princess, doesn't he?" She smiled and nodded, getting into the back of the car.

We pulled up to the restaurant and immediately, I was nervous. There were people of a much higher caliber than me – a lowly undergrad student – walking into this place. Ellie saw my face and put her hand over mine. "Sweetie, don't be nervous. I've been to places like this before; trust me, it's not as intimidating as it looks." We stepped out of the car, and it felt like everyone's eyes were on us. "Ellie, they're staring at us." I looked around again and then corrected myself. "Actually, they're staring at you." Ellie shrugged and kept walking, pushing through the door of the restaurant and into the dimly lit space. The maître d' looked up from his reservation book and smiled warmly at Ellie. "They're expecting you." He said. He led us through the restaurant into a small back room – they rented out an entire room? I guess if you're a star, privacy comes at a cost.

When we walked into the room, the boys all stood up, smiling at us. Josh walked over and hugged Ellie tightly, kissing her shoulder and neck. I looked away, embarrassed. Instead, I turned my attention to the rest of the group. I hugged Sophia first, who was gushing about how my dress looked so good on me. Next, Louis, Niall, and Liam, who hugged me warmly, complimenting me on how "hot" I looked; and then came Harry. He was just standing there, staring. I smiled at him, a little take aback at how handsome he looked - a slightly open dress shirt that exposed his tattoos, skinny jeans, and those damn boots he always wears. "Hi," I said simply. Harry grinned and held his arms open, and I gladly walked into them, trying not to smile when he held me tightly. He smelled so good, and his arms felt so strong around me. When I pulled away, I dropped my arms so my hands rested on his biceps but Harry kept his arms around my waist. "You look stunning." He murmured. I blushed at the compliment. "You don't look so bad yourself." I said softly.

Harry and I stood there for a moment, unable to look away, but then realized that the boys were staring at us with shit-eating grins on their faces and Ellie and Sophia were whispering excitedly to each other. We quickly took our seats, and soon a waitress came in to take our orders. She obviously recognized the boys and immediately took their orders, completely ignoring Ellie, Sophia, and I. She was openly flirting with Harry and if looks could kill, I would have already buried this girl six feet under. The worst part was that Harry was clearly enjoying it, and was flirting back. Strangely I felt jealous, but I ignored it. I cleared my throat, and she brushed me off. I looked at the others in disbelief. "Is she serious?" I mouthed to them. I looked at her and said, "Excuse me?" and she turned to me, eyebrows raised. "Yes?" I stared at her, my temper rising. "May I have a glass of Cabernet, please?" She looked me up and down, smirking. "Ma'am, the Cabernet is very expensive; are you sure you can afford that?" I glared at her. "Why do you ask?" She scoffed. "Well, since I saw that dress at the thrift store on Ninth Street yesterday, I think a Coors would be more in your price range." I opened my mouth to retort when Niall spoke from across the table. "We're paying. She'll have a glass of Cabernet." The waitress shrugged and took Sophia's order, then walked out of the room. I sat back in my chair, looking at Liam, who was sitting next to me in disbelief. "Did that seriously just happen?" He shook his head, laughing. "She's just jealous that you're eating dinner with One Direction and she's working a shit waitressing job!" Sophia piped up from beside Liam. I laughed and pointed at her. "Don't rag on serving, darling! My shit waitressing gig helped me pay my way through college!"

We had been laughing and talking for a little bit when the waitress came back with everyone's drinks. She grabbed her notepad and began to take our orders. "I'll have the chicken bruschetta, please." I said, closing my menu. The waitress raised her eyebrows and my temper immediately flared. "Are you sure that's what you want?" I sighed. "Yes, I'm sure, but dear God, why shouldn't I be?" The waitress picked up my menu, trying not to laugh. "There are over 500 calories in the bruschetta and, well...from your size..."

"EXCUSE ME?" I said in a raised voice. That did it. I stood up from the table, placed my napkin on my plate, and picked up my clutch. "I'm not going to sit here and be treated like this. I'll see you guys later." And with that, I walked out of the restaurant. I had walked about a block away when I heard people yelling my name behind me, and I turned to saw the entire group walking towards me. "You couldn't stand her either, could you?" I said to them. Liam smiled and stepped forward, hugging me. "You're our friend, Anna. We weren't going to sit by and let her treat you that way. We reported her to the manager and left." I laughed and hugged him tightly. We started walking down the street, looking for a new place to eat. Somehow, I ended up at the back of the pack with Harry. "Listen, I'm sorry I didn't stick up for you in there. You're my guest, I should have said something." I gave him a hard look. "Yeah, that would have been nice." I began to walk a little faster, and he grabbed my wrist, making me stumble backward into him. He caught me and held me tight, making my breath hitch. "I really am sorry, Anna." He whispered in my ear. I stood up straight and turned around, smiling at him. "Thank you, Harry." We began to walk with the group again, and somehow our hands found each other and became entwined. I managed to keep a straight face, but out of the corner of my eye, I could see that Harry was grinning.

Eventually, we found ourselves at this little dive bar with a shitty band but really good food. I ended up ordering a beer, and we all decided to split an extra-large order of cheese fries. Ellie declined to eat any since she 'wanted to be able to fit into her wedding dress the day of". I walked over to the bar and grabbed more beers for myself and Ellie, and felt a pair of eyes watching me. "Haven't seen your pretty little self here before." A deep southern voice said beside me. I looked over and held back a grimace. It was your typical southern frat boy, but highly drunk with a mouthful of dip. "Well, now you have. And I doubt you will again." I said, taking the cold glasses and walking back to the table. "Who was that?" Josh said, laughing. "Some southern jackass who wanted to sample the goods." I said, handing Ellie her beer and taking a sip of mine. Harry grumbled something behind me and I turned to see him glaring at the guy, who was still looking at me. I rolled my eyes and sat down on Harry's lap, setting my beer on the table. "He's not my type." I said plainly, smiling at Harry. Harry raised his eyebrows at my position and I sighed, leaning in to whisper to him. “Guys usually back off if they see a girl with a guy.” Harry wrapped a possessive arm around my waist and grinned, kissing my cheek. I couldn't tell if he was trying to play along with my charade to throw off the guy, or if he just wanted to touch me but strangely enough, I didn't mind.

We stayed until the bar closed at 3 am, talking and yelling and laughing. Liam and Sophia had gone back to the hotel, and the other boys offered to walk Ellie and me back to my house since the streets were dark and we were "two attractive young women who shouldn't be walking alone at night". While we were walking along the dimly lit streets, Harry's arm wrapped around my shoulders, and I giggled, a little buzzed from the beers I had consumed that night. "That was slick, mate." I said, using my best British accent. He laughed and said, "I like your natural accent better." I smiled and wrapped my arm around his waist. "Thank you very much, sir." I said with my full Southern accent. There was still a little Italian lilt to it, but it had become much less pronounced after we moved to the States. He smiled happily and kissed my hair, pulling me closer to him. Once we reached my house, I told everyone that it was silly to call a taxi this late and that they could just spend the night here. I fished a few sleeping bags out from the closet and rolled out my old futon. Ellie and Josh had taken the guest room, and it didn't take long before everyone else had passed out in the living room. I stripped off my clothes and climbed into my bed, immediately falling asleep.

\----

I woke up around 8 am the next morning – a Saturday – and rolled out of bed, slipping into my purple Nike shorts and an old, worn William & Mary sweatshirt. I tiptoed out into the kitchen and started getting out pancake batter, bacon, and things to drink. I was starting to make the pancakes when I felt a pair of arms slip around my waist. I snorted, knowing who it was. "Hi, Harry." He mumbled a sleepy, gravelly good morning and buried his face in the crook of my neck, and I rolled my eyes, biting my lip as I tried not to smile. "Stop, I'm trying to cook!" I loaded the pancakes onto the plate next to the stove, then turned around in his arms and realized that he was only wearing his trousers from last night, and I felt my face grow warm. He smiled at me. "You look pretty when you get all flustered like that." I blushed even harder and made up for it by tearing a little bit off of one of the pancakes on the plate beside me and put it in his mouth. "What do you think?" I said nervously as he chewed. He swallowed and grinned. "It's fantastic!" I laughed and once I stopped, I just stood there in his arms, studying his face. His crooked but adorable smile, those beautiful eyes that seemed to stare right into your soul, and his lips, pink and perfect. I felt my heartbeat quicken as he began to lean in, but I did nothing to stop him.

"GOOD MORNING!"

We jumped apart just in time. Ellie walked into the kitchen in her flannel pj's and smiled sleepily at us. "I smelled bacon. How are you two this morning?" She looked at me closely. "Anna, are you feeling alright? You look awfully hot." My eyes widened and I turned back towards the stove, taking the bacon out of the pan and putting it on a plate. Harry moved next to me, acting like he was grabbing a glass from the cabinet, but whispered quietly, "I'm not finished with you yet, love."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, my lovelies! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Make sure to check back every Monday for updates, and feel free to leave a review below - I read and respond to them all! Also, I'm Sicilian, so for anyone who needs a translation of the conversation between Anna and her mom, I've put it below. Love y'all! - H xx
> 
> Translation (Anna and her mom):
> 
> Mom: Hi sweetheart! Did you find the bananas I left you?
> 
> Anna: All right, Mom. Whatever you want. And yes, I found the bananas. I'm doing the bread in a few days.


	3. Chapter 3

The few days passed uneventfully. Mostly we just hung around the house, and I went to classes and worked at the library. On a quiet Friday afternoon, I worked on some papers I had to write for my classes and the girls helped me clean up the house a little. By the time night fell, Harry and I were watching a movie in the living room. Niall was passed out on the futon and Louis was snoring on the floor in front of the coffee table. Josh was asleep on the loveseat with Ellie's head in his lap, and Liam and Sophia had already gone back to the hotel earlier that day. The Hunger Games was playing on the television, and we were at my favorite scene – the scene where Katniss finds Peeta at the river. I looked over at Harry, who was watching the screen intently as Katniss and Peeta embraced. I scooted over next to him, poking his side. "I think you’re getting a little too into this movie." He laughed quietly and put his arm around me. I’d been trying to remain unaffected by his actions, but I decided to just give in for once as I curled up next to him.

Tucked against his side, a million questions gnawed at my mind, just as they had done since the moment I met Harry. Somewhere in my brain, a part of me knew that I would regret it but I had to get some answers. "Harry, what are you doing?" I said quietly. He looked down at me. "I'm holding a beautiful girl in my arms and watching a movie. What are you doing?" I rolled my eyes, trying not to smile. "Idiot. I mean, you’ve been flirting with me like crazy ever since you got here. What do you want from me?" I asked and Harry sat up and sighed. "To tell you the truth Anna, I don't really want anything serious right now. I'm young, and I want to have fun while I can. You're just a really attractive, cool person who I want to be around and have fun with. That's it."

I couldn't move. I felt like I had been slapped in the face. All the stupid little gestures and teasing words, the intimate touches and flirty looks; none of it was real. A tiny part of me had wanted this to be something good and right but I was wrong yet again. “So I really am just another one of your pretty little fucks?” I said with venom in my voice. Harry looked completely taken aback at this and I could feel the angry tears welling up in my eyes so I quickly got up from the couch and went into my bedroom, shutting the door behind me and locking it. I slid down against the door, tears pouring down my face. I couldn't believe that I let myself get played again. I thought I was smarter than this, but no; I let myself believe that Harry was serious about me and he had felt the spark that I had felt. Through the door, I could hear Ellie yelling at Harry. "You are such an ass, Harry! You have no idea what she's been through, and you have no right to say those things to her, especially after the way you've treated her! Every guy that she cared about used her and once they got their fill, they threw her away like a piece of trash! She really believed that you were different than everybody else, but you're not!"

I could hear the front door open and slam shut. There were footsteps down the hallway, and then a quiet knock on the door. "Sweetie? It's Ellie. Please open the door." I took a deep breath and then stood up, opening the door. Ellie walked in and hugged me tightly. "I'm so, so, so sorry babe. I kicked him out for you." I cried on her shoulder, the pain overtaking me. She rubbed my back comfortingly, and I pulled away, sniffing. "I need to go to bed, Ellie. I'll have a clearer head in the morning." She nodded and backed out of the room, closing the door behind her. I walked over and collapsed into my bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

\-----

The next morning, it was difficult to even get out of bed. For one thing, I never wanted to face any of the members of One Direction ever again, since one of them is an ass. Secondly, tonight is the wedding rehearsal and I have to walk down the aisle with Harry.  
Right then, I decided to buck up & deal with it, so I rolled out of bed and pulled on a blue and white striped t-shirt, red high waisted shorts, and white gladiator sandals. When I walked into the kitchen, Josh and Ellie were already at the table, talking quietly. Once they noticed me, Josh got up and opened his arms to me. I gratefully accepted his hug, trying not to cry today. "It's gonna be okay, Anna. I can talk to Harry if you want. I just feel awful that this happened." Josh said apologetically. I pulled away, smiling at him. "Thanks, but I think I'm the only one who can fix this." "How are you gonna do that?" Ellie said from the table. I walked over to the cabinet and grabbed a box of cereal. "I just need to bring a cute date tonight."

Soon enough, I had a date lined up. My longtime friend Raoul said he would gladly go to the rehearsal dinner with me. We had arranged that he would pick me up at my house, along with Ellie. Around 3:00, Ellie and I drove up to the church and parked, getting out and talking about random last minute wedding plans. When we entered the church, I fell silent. It was old and charming, but you could feel God's presence there. It really felt like a holy space. We met the boys and Sophia, and Ellie's old roommate from Cambridge, Annie, inside the lobby. Josh's best man and friend since childhood, Ronan, was there too. I couldn't even bring myself to look at Harry, but I could feel his stare burning through me. The pastor directed us into our spaces, and Ronan and Annie began to walk down the aisle. Liam and Morgan, another bridesmaid, followed, then Harry and I. When we were about halfway down, Harry whispered into my ear, "I'm sorry, Anna." I ignored him and kept my face pointed towards the front, determined to keep this rehearsal drama-free. He whispered again, "I am!" I ignored him again, and he stopped.

The rest of the rehearsal passed smoothly, and afterward, Ellie and I rushed home to get ready for the dinner. I walked into my room and stripped down quickly, slipping into my dress that I had gotten for the dinner. It was a thigh-length red lace dress with a slightly flared skirt. I did a smokey effect on my eyes, nude colored lipstick, and I paired the outfit with a black wrap and a pair of black pumps. "Can you come zip me?" Ellie yelled from the guest room. I walked into the guest room and found Ellie hopping around in one shoe, trying to zip up her dress on her own. I giggled and walked over, zipping up her dress all the way. It was an edgy gold and black number that looked really good on her. I put my hands on her shoulders and smiled. "You're gonna do great tonight, girl." She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I know. I'm totally ready." Just then, the doorbell rang and I smiled, walking quickly to the door. I opened it and there stood Raoul, smiling and looking very handsome in dress pants, winged tip shoes, a blue dress shirt, a red tie, and a sports jacket. I hugged him tightly, laughing. "You look so good Raoul! It's been forever!" He let go and smiled at me. "You look amazing Anna." I smiled and led him inside. Ellie walked in and waved at Raoul. "Ellie, this is Raoul. We met back in high school. Raoul, this is the bride, Ellie!" I said. Raoul shook Ellie's hand warmly, and we started walking out to the car. The only problem was, another car was blocking Raoul's car in on the driveway.

"HARRY! What the hell are you doing?"

Harry ran up to me, looking me straight in the eye. "Please hear me out. Just ride with me over there, and we can talk."

I looked at Ellie, who shrugged with an uncertain look on her face. I sighed and placed a hand on Raoul's chest, who looked ready to pounce. Raoul was 4 inches taller than Harry and much more built. "Raoul, I'm gonna ride with Harry to dinner. I'll meet you there, okay? I'll be fine."

The car ride was definitely not quiet, or awkward. There was a lot of screaming, yelling, accusing, and confessing. By the time we got to the Washington Duke Inn, we had what I would describe as a love-hate relationship. Harry had realized that he was desperately in love with me and that I was the one for him; the one he had waited all his life for. I, on the other hand, hated him with a passion and hoped that I would never see him again after this wedding. He had earned himself a spot on a list of men who had strung me along just for shits and grins then dropped me like a rock. Harry stopped me outside of the doors, grabbing my hands in his. "Please, Anna, just give me a chance. One chance, and if I fuck up, I promise you can cut off all contact with me and you'll never have to see me again." I bit my lip, trying not to look into his eyes. Every instinct in my body was screaming at me to run, but there was a small voice of hope in the back of my mind telling me that maybe, just maybe, this could work.

"Okay," I said.

His entire face lit up, and I raised my index finger. "We keep it quiet, though. We're only testing the waters. If you slip up even once, and that includes all forms of flirting with other girls, even drunkenly, we are over." I said in a warning tone. He kissed my forehead, grinning like a fool. "I promise you won't regret this Anna." I slipped my hands out of his, giving him a hard look. "Don't promise me anything. Show me." He nodded, and we started to walk into the dazzling building. As we ascended the stairs inside to the second level that Ellie and Josh had rented out, Harry placed his hand on the small of my back. I didn't object, but I had to bite back a smile.

Once we entered the room, Raoul jumped up from his seat and walked over quickly, hugging me tightly. He pulled away, looking me over for any signs that Harry and I had fought. "Are you okay, Anna?" He said, concerned. "She's FINE." Harry said, irritated. Raoul glared at Harry over my shoulder. "I didn't ask YOU." Harry advanced on us and I placed my hands between the two, glaring at both of them. "BEHAVE." I said through gritted teeth. "This is Ellie and Josh's night. Don't you dare fuck it up." With that, I walked over and hugged Ellie and Josh, who was watching our exchange with trepidation. "Ladies room later." I whispered in Ellie's ear as I sat down next to her.  
The night passed pleasurably. I got to meet many of Ellie's friends from Ireland that had flown in for the wedding, and a few famous faces like Uncle Simon, Ed Sheeran (who upon entering the room, made me squeal), and Ellie Goulding (who upon entering the room made Ellie squeal). A few of Ellie's and my old friends from high school were here as well. The food was delicious, and the conversation was fantastic. Annie gave a beautiful speech about Ellie and Josh, and so did Ronan. Before the dessert arrived, I poked Ellie and jerked my head towards the bathrooms. She nodded and gave Josh a kiss on the cheek, and whispered in his ear. He smiled and nodded, and we both got up, heading for the bathroom.

We hurried inside and I closed the door tightly, grimacing when Ellie put her hands on her hips. She hated being out of the loop. "Okay, what was all that earlier?" She asked and I sighed and leaned against a sink. "Harry and I had a long, loud talk in the car. We've decided...we're going to try, with try being the operative word here, going out. We're not telling anyone though. I don't want this to be all over Entertainment Tonight if it ends badly. We're just testing the waters, and if it doesn't work...well, it doesn't work." Ellie nodded slowly, her arms crossed over her chest. "That sounds like a pretty good idea." I smiled weakly. "I do like him, Ellie. You know I've had a crush on him since I was a teenager. But, I know what kind of reputation he has and I don’t want to just be another victim in his string of girlfriends. I'm not gonna give in to him just because he says a few pretty words. " Ellie grinned. "What if he sang them?" I laughed uncontrollably, smiling widely at her. "I'd probably die right on the spot if he sang to me." Ellie smiled and hugged me, and we walked out of the bathroom together, giggling.

After dinner, we walked out of the inn and towards the parking lot. Everyone said their goodbyes and retreated to their separate cars. Ellie walked up to me, blushing, saying that Josh had a surprise for her, so she wouldn't be riding home with me. I raised my eyebrows, smiling deviously, giving Josh a thumbs up over Ellie's shoulder. "We're not going to do anything!" Ellie whisper-yelled, turning even more red in the face. They were both the “wait til marriage” type. I laughed and hugged her. "I know you're not. Sleep tight, sweetie." Harry walked over as soon as Ellie was in Josh's car and placed his hands on my waist. "Let me take you home." He said quietly. I looked up at him and nodded, then glanced at Raoul, who was watching us suspiciously. I walked over and hugged him reassuringly. "I'll be fine, hun. Harry's taking me home. I'll see you soon, okay?" He frowned and nodded begrudgingly, getting into his car and driving away. I smiled and walked back over to Harry, who pulled me close. "Treading water, remember?" I said, placing my hands on his chest. "I'm a good swimmer." He said, peppering my shoulder with kisses. I giggled, playing with the curls at the nape of his neck. "Harry, come on, we need to get home. Big day tomorrow." He sighed and looked at me. "Fine..." He stared at me for a second, making me blush slightly. "What?" I said, embarrassed. "Your eyes...they're this really pretty shade of blue. It's like the night sky and the ocean." I smiled and pulled him over towards the car. "Come on Romeo, take me home."

The whole way home, our hands stayed clasped together on the middle console. Once we pulled into the driveway, he walked me up to the door. We hugged for a long, long time before he started to walk away. He was halfway down the gravel path to the driveway, when I made a split second decision. "Harry?" He turned around, looking at me. "Yes?" I gave him a pleading look and said quietly, "Stay." He smiled and walked back up to the front door, following me into the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO SORRY for the delay in publishing! Life caught up with me. Anyway, he stayed the night, y'all! Let's see what happens! Check back next Monday! Love y'all!


	4. Chapter 4

I woke up to birds chirping the next morning, and the sun barely shining through my window. I was lying on something very warm that kept rising up and down. I looked upwards and smiled to myself, seeing Harry's peacefully sleeping face. As if he could sense that I was awake, his eyes opened a little, and he smiled lazily when he noticed me smiling up at him. "Good morning, beautiful." He said sleepily. I smiled at him, laying my head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer. "Do we have to get up?" I said, closing my eyes and yawning. He sighed. "As much as I'd like to stay here all day, we have a wedding to go to." I yawned and sat up in bed, stretching my arms above my head. In front of me, I could see my reflection in the mirror of my dresser; mussed up hair, purple camisole, and behind me, a very attractive British man watching me. I smiled and got out of bed and grabbed Harry's dress shirt, slipping it on and padding out of my room. I could hear Harry's footsteps following me, and I began rummaging around in the cabinets looking for something to eat. "Dammit!" I yelled out. "What?" Harry said, looking at me strangely. I sighed. "We have basically nothing to eat. I've been so caught up in wedding plans that I forgot about going to the grocery store." Harry grinned. "Well, I guess that leaves one option – I'm taking you out to breakfast." I smiled brightly and started walking back to my room. "Where are you going?" Harry yelled at my retreating figure. "I'm getting dressed!" I yelled back. "It's a date!" Harry shouted excitedly. I rolled my eyes and started digging through my closet. I knew this great little place down the road that we could go to, but I had to find something cute but casual to wear there.

About 15 minutes later, we were walking out the door, hand in hand. The walk was pleasantly silent. We were just enjoying the lovely weather and each other's company. After a couple minutes of walking along, we reached our destination – Mama's Kitchen. It was a weird name for a café, but it was the best place to eat in the world. Harry stared at the sign above the door, clearly amused. "Mama's Kitchen?" He said, looking at me with an eyebrow raised. I smiled at him. "Don't knock it till you try it. This place is absolutely amazing."

We sat down and I ordered for us, trying not to giggle at the nervous expression on Harry's face. "Just relax, Harry. Jesus, have you never been on a date before?" I teased, sitting back and sipping my water. "Never with someone as beautiful as you." I blushed and looked down, unsuccessfully biting back a smile. "So, tell me about you. Your family. Everything." Harry said casually. I looked up, raising an eyebrow. "You sure? It's a bit of a mess." Harry nodded and I shrugged. "Well, I'm an only child. My mom and I lived near my grandparents in Sicily until we moved to the States. I don't know who my dad is, I've never met him." I said, my voice getting a little quiet. People usually labeled me as "daddy issues" at this point, but Harry didn't say anything so I continued. "It's just been the two of us my whole life. Even when we came over here, we were a team. It wasn't always easy, but we made work." Harry smiled at me, playing with my hand across the table. "I understand. My parents divorced when I was young, so it was just my mum, my sister and I until Mum met my stepdad." I squeezed his hand, happy that someone finally understood me and related to me on some level. We were interrupted by the waiter bringing us our food, chicken and waffles. Harry looked at me, a little lost, and I giggled. "Seriously, have you never had chicken and waffles? Just dig in, I promise it's amazing." Harry followed my lead, and by the end of the meal, I honestly believe I had convinced him to move to the South if only for the food. Harry paid, much to my protest, and we exited the restaurant. "I need to head over to Ellie's house, we're getting ready over there." Harry nodded, bringing me back to my house and helping me get my dress and makeup in my car. "I can drive you to the hotel?" I offered, and Harry shook his head. "Nah, I'll just get an Uber, love. You go make sure Ellie isn't losing her mind." I laughed and kissed his cheek, getting in the car and waving goodbye.

\-----

"Oh Ellie, you look so beautiful!" I said, placing my hand over my heart as I watched my best friend fix her veil. "I really think I'm gonna cry!" I laughed, fanning my face. "Don't you dare! If you cry, I'll cry, and our makeup is way too good for that!" Ellie laughed and sniffled, hugging me tightly. "Did you ever think this would happen? Growing up, moving out, getting married?" Ellie said, looking at herself in the mirror. I hugged her from behind, shaking my head. "It's always different imagining it when you're young, but then life just hits you and you go with it. I can honestly see nothing but happiness from here on out for you, Ell." I said, smiling at her. She hugged me tightly as the other bridesmaids and Annie came back in, telling us it was showtime. I grabbed my small bouquet of flowers and fixed my hair before walking out with the rest of Ellie's bridal party. We walked to our respective groomsmen, and Harry let out a low whistle when he saw me. "Holy fuck..." I blushed and did a little spin, smiling. Ellie had picked out pale blue bridesmaids dresses that were strapless and floor length. All of them had been custom made to fit our bodies, and mine hugged my slender curves while still looking classy. "You look stunning." Harry said, grinning. I rolled my eyes and smiled up at him. "C'mon, handsome. We gotta get these two goons hitched." Harry laughed and pulled me close, kissing my hair before offering me his arm like he had been instructed to do. I giggled and placed my hand gently on it, taking a deep breath. "Let's do it." Harry murmured, and I smiled, holding my head high and walking slowly down the aisle with him.

Throughout the ceremony, I kept catching Harry staring at me. To the guests, it would have looked like he was watching the bride and groom, but he almost never took his eyes off of me. Even when Ellie and Josh exchanged their rings, said their vows, and kissed like no one else was watching, Harry gazed at me like I was the only girl in the room. We followed the newlyweds down the aisle and out of the church, making our way into the church courtyard for photos. We all posed happily with the new happy couple for photos, smiling until my cheeks hurt. As the photographer began doing family photos, the rest of the wedding party milled around, some getting in their cars to head to the reception. Harry and I followed their example, linking our fingers together and heading to the car park. I froze though when I heard a camera shutter sound behind us - did Harry's fans find out where he and the boys were? "Don't worry, it's just me. You two looked like models, I had to snap a few." I heard a familiar voice say, and I rolled my eyes when I turned to see Louis standing there grinning at us. "Does my butt look good, at least?" I asked teasingly. Louis' grin stretched to the size of the Cheshire Cat at my words and he glanced at his phone and around me before nodding. "Bloody marvelous, love." He said, and Harry pointed his finger threateningly at Louis, who held his hands up defensively. "Oi, watch it!" Harry said, and I laughed at the pair of them. "Relax, Styles." I said, resuming my walk to the car, unaware of how much my hips were swaying when I walked until I didn't hear any footsteps behind me. I sighed, realizing why they weren't following me and pausing for a second before slapping my own behind sarcastically, giggling a little when I heard Harry choke. I looked over my shoulder, smirking at him even though my insides were shivering from the look he was giving me. "Come on, it's time to party."

\-----

"May I have this dance?" I turned away from talking to Ronan to see Harry standing there, smiling and holding out his hand. I grinned and turned back to Ronan, smiling apologetically. "Think we can finish talking later?" Ronan laughed and nodded, kissing my cheek. "You have fun, love." I walked out onto the dance floor with Harry, squealing a little when he spun me into his arms. "Jesus, Harry!" I laughed, placing my hand on his shoulder. He grinned and started to sway to the music, holding me against him. "Ronan was rather...friendly." He said quietly. I rolled my eyes, smiling. "And if you look at the table directly to your left, he's getting rather 'friendly' with his charming girlfriend, Sasha." Harry looked over and flushed a little when he saw Sasha sitting on Ronan's lap, kissing him gently. "Harry, you've got nothing to worry about." I smiled, leaning up to bravely peck his cheek, something that was a first for me. I was still nervous about being affectionate with Harry, even though he had no problem being affectionate with me. The little traitorous voice in my head always said 'why not just dive in headfirst?', but was always squashed down by the voice of reason that told me to get my shit together and keep it real. Harry made a tiny noise of appreciation at my gesture and held me tighter. "I told you that we were testing the waters. I've gotta tell you...I like swimming." I whispered, leaning up so my lips brushed against his ear. Harry sighed and pressed a soft kiss to my neck, making me close my eyes and bite my lip.

\-----

I laughed as all the women hurried into a circle, waiting for Ellie to throw her bouquet to us. "Happy Hunger Games!" Ellie yelled happily, making everyone laugh as she launched her bouquet into the air. I rolled my eyes at Josh and jokingly held my arms out, and gasped when I felt the delicate flowers land in my hold. Josh grinned and clapped Harry hard on the back, who immediately flushed red and grinned at me. My cheeks flushed and I laughed, looking at the gorgeous arrangement of lilies, and for a moment, I imagined they were my own wedding bouquet. "One day, love. Maybe even sooner than you think." Ellie said, coming over and hugging me, making me blush when I saw her gaze dart over to Harry suggestively. "Stop that!" I hissed, biting back a smile and hugging her again, posing for the photographer before coming over to Harry. "So you caught the bouquet?" He said teasingly and I rolled my eyes, looking down at the flowers still in my grasp. "One day it'll be my turn." I said, trying to sound like I was joking, but Harry put a finger under my chin to bring my gaze to his. I saw that his stormy eyes were serious but kind. "And you're going to be the most beautiful bride." He said sincerely. I felt my face grow hot and I smiled softly, taking his hand and leading him off towards the bar. Harry only had a couple more days left here and I didn't want to think about what was going to happen to us after he went back to England - I just wanted to enjoy the moments I had with this man, and see what could come of it. Maybe something, maybe nothing. Like we said, we were treading water, but lately, I felt like I was drowning in him. And I didn't mind at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading, hope y'all enjoyed the WEDDING! Feel free to leave some kudos/a review - I read them all, and love hearing your feedback! See you next Monday! - H xx


	5. Chapter 5

After the wedding, Harry opted to spend the last two days he had before going back to London with me at my place, instead of at the hotel. The morning after the wedding while he was showering, I decided to make cookies just for the hell of it. I switched on the radio in the kitchen and squealed a little when I heard Shawn Mendes drifting through the speakers, and immediately started singing along. "Take this spark and start a fire, raise yourself we're feeling high, they can't tell us anything cause something big is happening!" I sang, smiling and dancing around as I grabbed ingredients from the fridge. "You can sing?" I heard Harry say behind me. I whirled around, my cheeks flaming when I saw Harry standing there in just a pair of sweats, his hair wet and messy. "Not really...I mean, I sang in high school and college, but nothing super serious." I stammered, embarrassed that Harry had heard me belting out a weird pop song. "You sound amazing." Harry said, grinning and taking the butter out of my hands. "What are we making?" I stared at him for a second, wondering if the biggest pop star in the world was actually offering to cook with me, but ended up smiling like a fool.

"Snickerdoodles." I said, dumping flour into a big mixing bowl. Harry helped measure and add more ingredients, singing along to the radio with me happily. As time passed, I realized how easy this was. I was so comfortable around Harry, that none of it was awkward. Laughing at his jokes and teasing him and touching him just seemed so natural. It was a really unfamiliar, but really nice feeling. I grabbed the large spoon and held the bowl tightly, trying to stir the thick dough as best as I could. I heard Harry chuckle behind me and I turned to glare at him. "Something funny, bakery boy?" I said in a flat voice. Harry shook his head, grinning and stepping forward. "God, let's hope you're better at cannolis than you are with cookies." He murmured in my ear, pressing my body into his. He placed his hand over the one I had grasping the bowl and held the spoon and my hand in his. "Like this." He said softly, leading me through the smashing and whipping motions he was making with the spoon. His lips brushed across my ear as he spoke, his deep voice making me bite my lip hard. "You're doing beautifully, Princess." I relaxed into him and Harry pressed his lips against the side of my head. I smiled at this small action, my cheeks flushed.

I yanked out some more flour as Harry set out the cookie sheets, plopping balls of dough onto them. Looking at him, I suddenly got a wicked idea. I opened the bag of flour quietly and grabbed a handful, coming up behind him. "Hey, Harry?" I said, and Harry turned immediately. "Yeah, Anna?" I held my hand up and blew the white powder all over his face, giggling at his spluttering and shocked expression. He wiped at his eyes and I felt bad for a split second until he grabbed his own handful of flour and dumped it on me, making me shriek. The cookie dough soon lay forgotten as we chased each other around my kitchen, flinging flour and eventually cinnamon at each other. I soon found myself with my back to the pantry door, Harry's arms caging me in. "Do you surrender?" He asked breathlessly, and I laughed. "You wish." I said teasingly. We both stood there for a moment trying to calm down, and I felt the tension grow with each passing second. Harry's eyes flickered down towards my lips, and just as he started to lean in, the oven let out a loud ding to let us know that it was ready for baking. I looked up at Harry, my heart hammering. "I guess I gotta put them in. I mean, you should probably shower...again." I said, smirking at Harry's almost ghostly appearance. Harry rolled his eyes and kissed my forehead, walking out of the kitchen. I let out a loud breath as soon as Harry was out of sight, my head falling back against the cabinets. "What have I gotten myself into..." I mumbled quietly. 

\-----

Today was Harry's last day before he had to go back home to London, so I told him I would give him the insiders tour of Durham.

"This looks...quirky." I laughed at Harry's amused expression as we walked into the Regulator, my favorite bookshop in the town. "Just roll with it. There are tons of cute places like this around here. You can't escape it." I said, grinning and sticking my tongue out at him. Harry slung an arm around my shoulders, smiling down at me. "If it means you come with it all, I'm good." I blushed and smiled up at him shyly, getting all flustered again.

We walked around the shop for a little while, looking at random books and records. The whole time, though, I kept seeing a little boy who couldn't have been older than 3 sitting alone in the children's' corner. After nearly 20 minutes of seeing him sit by himself, I set my book back on the shelf and excused myself from Harry. I walked over and sat down on the floor next to the little boy's chair. "Hey there, little man. My name is Anna. Why are you all by yourself?" The little boy looked up at me, and I could see that he was a little worried and unsettled, probably because a stranger was talking to him. "Mommy went to the bathroom. She said to wait." He was getting visibly more distressed with each word he said, and I sat on my knees right in front of him, speaking to him softly. "Hey, hey, it's okay. Everyone has to go sometimes, even Mommy. I know Mommy wouldn't want you to wait all alone, so do you want me to sit with you? You can pick out any book you want, and we'll read them all. How does that sound?" I said reassuringly, smiling at the little boy. He nodded, getting out of his little chair and smiling a little. I stood up and held out my hand, and we began going through the shelves, creating a pile of books to read.

The minutes passed, and his mom still didn't come back. The little boy, however, who I learned was named Ben, didn't seem that anxious once we started reading. He even got into my lap and sat there happily while I read him story after story. I looked up at one point and saw Harry watching us, a smile on his face. I turned a little pink and flashed him a smile in return, before going back to the story with Ben. I saw Harry come over and sit down beside Ben and me, and Ben just stared at him. "This is my friend, Harry. He's really nice." Ben seemed satisfied with this, so he pointed to where I left off and said, "Go". I raised my eyebrows in amusement at Harry and smiled, starting up again.

Harry and I had both started reading Ben books, using funny voices and gestures when suddenly I heard a female voice yell "Ben!" I looked up and saw a frantic woman rushing into the store, looking around wildly. When she saw Ben sitting in my lap, she hurried over to us and got down on the ground, pulling Ben out of my lap and hugging him tightly. "Oh baby boy, I love you. Mommy loves you." I stared at her, my anger building with each passing second. She had left her child alone in a public place for well over an hour, with no thought to his safety. She looked up at me, her eyes filled with tears. "I'm his mother, Jenny. Thank you for staying with him and watching him. Thank you so much." She murmured, her voice shaking. "He's a very sweet boy. He stayed very calm and relaxed when we started reading to him." I said, trying to keep my voice even. Jenny wiped at her eyes, holding Ben a little tighter. "My oldest daughter, Lillie, she's 8. She goes to a day camp during the summer, and the counselors called me while I was in the restroom, saying she had gotten sick at camp. I ran out to go pick her up and bring her home and I was so worried, and I thought I had brought Benny with me but I didn't." Jenny said quickly, her voice breaking at the end. My face softened and I reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's fine, we were happy to stay with him. We didn't want anything to happen to him, and we know you didn't either."

Jenny gave us more tearful thank you's before exiting the bookstore, this time with Ben, and we left shortly after she did. "Having fun so far?" I said, looking at Harry and smiling. He laughed and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, steering us down the street. "Best day I've had in awhile."

"I can see why you want to be a teacher." Harry said as we walked onto Duke's East Campus. "Sorry?" I said, looking at him curiously. "You were great with Ben back there. He was so happy just sitting with you, and you knew how to make him settle down and keep him calm." Harry said, smiling at me. I blushed and looked down, smiling. "I've always related to kids better, I guess. They're just good. They don't stress or worry about anything really because they haven't had to see any of the bad things in the world yet. No one has let them down, or left them scarred." I said, staring at the path. "Like you?" Harry asked quietly. I looked up at him, immediately embarrassed. "That was heavy, I'm sorry." Harry smiled and kissed my head, pulling me closer to him. "We're all a little broken. It's nice to spend your day with people that don't know what that's like." Harry said, and his words resonated with me. I stopped us on the path and hugged Harry, burying my face in his chest. Harry wrapped his arms around me, holding me close. "Everyone says I act nurturing and caring, and taking care of kids just comes so naturally to me." I laughed. "Honestly, they make me sound less like a teacher and more like" "A mum." Harry said, cutting me off and smiling down at me. I flushed pink and nodded, shrugging. "I can see you being a mum one day. You'd be a great one." Harry said, grinning at me. I blushed harder and kissed the underside of his jaw, lacing my fingers with his and pulling him down the path. "Come on Styles, there's more to see." I said happily. "Lead the way, Princess." He laughed.

\-----

Standing in the airport, I cursed myself mentally. Somewhere between the teasing and sweet gestures, I had fallen hopelessly in love with Harry Styles. And today he was leaving. Harry, Niall, Louis, Liam, and Sophia walked back from the ticket counter, smiling sadly at me. "It's time for us to go." I forced a smile onto my face, hugging each of them in turn, promising that we'd visit each other soon. I clung to Harry a little longer than I did to the others, trying to not cry. "Don't worry Princess, I'll see you soon, okay?" I looked at him and saw that he was trying to not cry as well. I nodded and hugged him again, breathing in the scent that was completely him – cologne, peppermint, and man. We broke apart and he kissed my forehead, smiling at me before walking towards the gate with the boys. Watching him, something inside my heart broke, and for the oddest reason, I felt like I had forgotten something. And then, as if someone had slapped me in the face, it hit me. Harry had been working so hard to take things slow and do this on my terms that he had been hesitating to do something this whole time. During this entire trip, I had walked on eggshells around Harry, never sure if I should break down that final wall, but seeing him leave now made me sure that I wanted this and if I didn't do it now I'd regret it forever. Harry and I had never kissed. 

"HARRY!" I yelled out. He turned around, and when he saw me running over, he dropped all of his stuff on the ground and hurried over to me. I literally jumped on him, wrapping my legs around his waist and hugging him tightly. He held onto me, whispering sweet nothings into my ear. I pulled back to look at him, and decided that I didn't give a damn who was watching or not; I leaned in and kissed Harry Styles.

Harry responded immediately, kissing me back passionately. I sighed happily and tangled my fingers in his hair, feeling as though the world was dissolving around us, leaving us completely alone. I could feel myself giving in to him for the first time and it was the most freeing thing. He had knocked down every wall I had worked so hard to build and it should have terrified me but it didn't. I felt so exposed but so safe. We broke apart a little breathless, looking at each other, lost for words. Behind Harry, I could see the boys fist-bumping each other and giving us shit-eating grins. I slid off of Harry, blushing and hiding my face in his chest. He laughed and wrapped his arms around me, kissing my head. I looked up at him, smiling. "Our first kiss." Harry grinned and cupped my face in his hands, kissing me again. "And there's our second kiss." He said. I laughed and hugged him tightly, never wanting to let go. A sharp voice drew me out of my state of happiness, and it made my heart drop into my stomach.

"British Airways Flight 1124 welcomes our first class passengers to begin boarding."

I looked at Harry, tears pooling in my eyes. "Please don't go." I said, my voice breaking at the end. He held me close, kissing me gently. "I'll be back faster than you can blink, babe.” I kissed him softly, trying not to cry anymore. "HARRY! We gotta go!" Louis' yelled from the gate. I hugged Harry tightly, tears leaking down my face. He hugged me back, giving me one last kiss before picking up his things and walking over to the gate. He waved at me and winked, and I laughed, wiping away my tears. I waited until he had completely disappeared into the Jetway before turning around and walking back to the airport entrance, feeling my heart tear in two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One word: FINALLY! Thank you so much for reading, my lovelies! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, feel free to leave a kudos/review - I read them all! Also just a heads up, next chapter is where things start to get a little smutty - you have been warned! Love y'all! See you next Monday!


	6. Chapter 6

"So you got the tickets?" I said into the phone as I walked into my bungalow, kicking off my flats. I was graduating from college in a week, and I had sent Harry tickets for him and some of the boys to come see me walk. "I'm looking right at them, love. I'm so proud of you." Harry said, his voice deep and soothing. "God, I can't wait to see you. I've missed you so much, Harry." I said softly, walking into my room and changing into sweats. "I miss you too, Princess." I smiled and laid on my bed, looking up at the ceiling. "What do you miss the most?" I asked teasingly, grinning and biting my lip. "Your eyes. And your smile." Harry responded almost immediately. "Really?" I said, blushing. I could almost see Harry smiling as he talked to me. "Really. And I especially miss that little laugh of yours." I laughed again, just proving his point. "I miss your smile. And being wrapped up in your arms. But I really miss the way you treat me." I said, letting my hair out and running a hand through it. I could nearly see Harry's amused and bewildered expression. "The way I treat you?" He said, and I could hear the smile in his voice. "You listen to me. You take an actual interest in my dreams and encourage them when others call me a silly girl who lives in the clouds. I've never felt more comfortable around anyone except for my family, and you make me feel like the most beautiful girl alive. I don't remember the last time I was this happy, Harry." I said, my voice quiet and shaking with happiness.

Harry was silent for a moment, and my nervousness rose with each quiet second. Had I said too much too soon? Did I scare him off?

"I love you so much, Anna."

I froze at his words, unable to speak. I couldn’t believe that he had actually said it, and even though logic told me that it was impossible to fall in love with someone in this short of a timespan, I wanted to believe it. I wanted to feel that love and affection. So, I let myself feel it. “I love you too, Harry.”

\-----

"Miss Annalisa Elisabetta Gagliano."

I straightened my graduation cap and walked onstage, smiling at the Dean. "Congratulations, Miss Gagliano." He said, shaking my hand. "Thank you so much, sir." I said, taking my diploma and holding it carefully. Out in the audience, screams and cheers and whistles erupted from somewhere in the stands. I looked up and nearly died right there on stage - Ellie, Josh, Louis, Liam, Sophia, and Harry were jumping up and down in their seats, screaming for me. Ellie and Sophia were holding up handmade signs and Louis even had a damn tiny megaphone that he yelled "SLAY" into. I looked at the Dean, who chuckled and spoke to the audience. "I did say that the audience could be as loud as they pleased. The rest of you have quite the act to follow." I laughed and walked off the stage, going back to my seat, shaking my head and studying my diploma. I had done it. Four long, hard years of work had finally paid off – I had my degree in Elementary Education. I could finally become a teacher like I had always dreamed of doing.

"Mamma!" I yelled, running over and hugging her tightly. "Sono così orgoglioso di te, Bambina! Hai lavorato così duramente per questo." I pulled away and smiled at her using my nickname, jumping up and down a little. I was so excited; I could barely even stand still. Over her shoulder, I saw someone waving madly at me, and I excused myself quickly before dashing over to tackle Ellie. "YOU MADE IT!!" I shrieked, hugging her and laughing. She hugged me tighter, giggling. "Did you like the signs?" I pulled away, beaming at her. "They were awesome! I was trying so hard not to laugh at the one that said 'GO TEAM! (There isn't really a team, we just wanted to be encouraging)'" Ellie laughed, nodding. "We had so much fun making those." I laughed and hugged her again, ecstatic to see her. "How was the honeymoon, darling?" I said, raising my eyebrows up and down and grinning. Ellie flushed and punched me in the shoulder. "That is none of your business, but it was wonderful. France is such a beautiful country. By the way, if you were wondering, he's over there."

I looked to where she was pointing, and my heart started beating faster. Press tours, radio appearances, and studio rehearsals had kept us apart since the day he boarded that plane. I started walking towards him and when he saw me out of the corner of his eye, he did the same. I started to run a little and crashed into his arms, hugging him as tightly as I could. "You're here, you're here!" I whispered, nearly crying. He pressed his face into the crook of my neck, and I could feel my gown get a little wet – he was crying. "I wouldn't miss this for the world, baby." I sniffed and looked at him, tears pooling in my eyes. "I missed you so much!" "I'm never leaving again." "Don't you even dare." I said, kissing him full on the mouth. He kissed me back fiercely, clutching me to him. As we broke apart, he held me even tighter, his forehead against mine. I opened my eyes slowly and was met with his blue-green eyes looking back into mine. "I love you, Anna." I kissed him again, sighing happily. "I love you too, Harry."

\-----

After the dinner celebration was over, Harry and I found ourselves lying on the couch in my little house. Louis, Liam, and Sophia had caught late flights back to England, Ellie and Josh had left my place a while ago, and thankfully my mother wasn't staying with me. I had been mentally preparing myself for this night since Harry left, and I knew I was finally ready. All I needed was for us to be totally alone with no chance of interruptions. I was still wearing my graduation gown, and Harry had my feet in his lap and was rubbing them. "Where the hell did you learn to do that?" I asked softly, closing my eyes and biting my lip. Harry laughed and kept working my feet, massaging out all the tension from those stupid heels. "Natural talent, I guess."

I sat up and looked at Harry, my master plan now making me a bit nervous. "Hannah? What's wrong, love?" Harry said with concern. "I wanna do something." I said quietly, looking up at him. Harry stared at me, nodding slowly. "Okay..what do you wanna do?" I steeled myself, and got up, straddling Harry's lap and placing my hands on his shoulders. "This." I whispered in his ear, my lips grazing over his neck. I rolled my hips softly against him and Harry grabbed my waist, groaning. "Is that..good?" I asked uncertainly. "Fucking tease." He groaned, looking up at me. I laughed and bit my lip, grinding down a little harder on him, making both of us moan. I pulled off my graduation gown and let my long hair fall free from the pins holding it back. Harry kissed me deeply, his fingers snaking up my back and making me shiver when he brushed against the exposed skin. He popped the lone button at the top, and the dress fell open. I kept it up in the front, nervousness washing over me. "Hey." Harry said quietly, kissing me gently and prying my hands away from the straps of my dress, letting it fall from my shoulders. Because the dress was backless, I couldn't wear a bra; something I had decided to keep from Harry until tonight. Harry leaned back but held onto my hands so I couldn't cover myself. "Fucking Christ...you're...I don't think beautiful is enough." He said, staring at me. I blushed and felt the heat covering my chest. Harry moaned softly in appreciation and leaned forward, holding me against him. His lips started tracing their way down my chest, beginning at my collarbones, down between the valley between my breasts, and over the swell of each one. When he dragged his tongue over my nipple, I let my head fall back, hands flying to his hair and moaning. Harry moved over to my other breast, giving it the same attention. He bit down on the skin just above my breast and I gasped, arching my back slightly. "Hmm, someone likes biting.." Harry said, smirking at me. "Shut up Styles." I said in a low voice, kissing him and tugging at his dress shirt and fumbling with the buttons. Harry helped me, shrugging off his shirt and lifting my dress over my head. I traced his tattoos softly and he moaned lightly, gripping my hips. His hands wandered down to my ass, grabbing and kneading my cheeks before slapping it hard. "Harry!" I gasped in pleasure, grabbing his shoulders and looking down at him. "Please, Harry."

Harry understood immediately what I meant and got up, keeping my legs wrapped around him with one arm wrapped firmly around my waist, and the other under my ass. He walked us down the hallway towards my room, groaning when I let my lips and teeth graze his neck. "You're playing with fire, little girl." He growled, kicking my door open and pinning me against it once it was closed. "I'm not afraid of getting burned." I murmured, smirking at him. Harry grinned and turned, dropping me onto the bed and crawling over me as I laid back against the pillows. I pulled him down to me, giggling and kissing him hard. Harry slipped his tongue past my lips and ran his hands down my sides, raising goosebumps on my skin. When he traced the hem of my panties, I froze up slightly. I was by no means a virgin, but Harry and I had never gone this far with each other and he had been with other girls before. What if I didn't measure up? As if he could read my mind, Harry bit my lip gently to bring me back to reality. "Hey, Anna. If you're not ready, we don't have to." My heart swelled at how sweet he was, and I put my hands on his cheeks. "I am ready, Harry. I'm just...I'm worried I won't be good enough." I said, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Harry stared at me for a moment before he ground his hips into me, making me gasp loudly. "You feel that? All of that is because of you. Christ, Anna, I can get hard just thinking about you. I'm about to break this damn zipper with you underneath me." He said, a laugh in his voice. The laugh disappeared, though, when I moved my hands down his chest and abs towards his jeans. "Well, let's get these off then." I said, smiling and biting my lip.

Harry nodded wordlessly and helped me unbutton his tight jeans, the impressive bulge in his Calvin Kleins making me lick my lips. I peeled them off slowly, my eyes widening a little when I saw him completely hard. "How the fuck is this supposed to fit inside me..." I murmured, stroking it slightly and smirking when Harry groaned. I moved to take him in my mouth when Harry pushed me back down onto the bed. He silenced my protests with a hard kiss, making me moan happily. "Tonight is about you, baby. Trust me, I'll put that cute little mouth to good use later." Harry said, moving his lips across my jaw and neck, and down to my chest. I raised my hips a little so he could remove the tiny lace panties and gasped when I felt his fingers tracing my slit gently. "Harry, please, don't tease." I whined, and Harry grinned, coming back up my body to kiss me. I tried my push his shoulders back down so his head would be where I wanted him the most, but I cried out when Harry shoved two fingers into me. "You said no teasing." Harry murmured against my lips, moving to suck a dark red mark on my neck. I couldn't speak, I could only moan and whimper as his fingers eased in and out of me. He pushed them especially deep and curled them, hooking inside of me and making my back arch off the bed. "Oh my god!" I whimpered, clawing at the sheets. "Is that it baby? Is that the spot that's gonna have you screaming my name?" Harry rasped in my ear. I nodded, biting my lip and looking at him pleadingly. "Please..please, I wanna...oh my god..." Harry smirked at my stammering and started pounding his fingers in and out of me, curling them each time they came out and hitting that same spot and making my legs quake with pleasure. "Gonna cum, oh fuck Harry!" I cried out, my hips lifting off the bed slightly. Harry rubbed my clit harshly with his thumb and a cry of pleasure left my mouth as my orgasm washed over me in burning waves.

Harry worked me through my high slowly, withdrawing his fingers and sucking them into his mouth, grinning. "Fucking delicious." He rasped, and I pulled him down to me, kissing him roughly. "I'm ready. I want you." I gasped, and Harry nodded, opening my legs a little wider and settling between them. "You're on birth control right? And you're sure about this, baby girl?" He asked, looking at me one more time for permission to do this. I nodded, locking my legs around his waist and letting out a small moan when the tip rubbed against my still-sensitive clit. "Do it." I said, and Harry held my hips firmly, pushing into me slowly. My mouth opened in a small "o" and my head fell back as I felt him stretch me. It hadn't been too terribly long since the last time I had sex (a late drunken night with Raoul), but Harry was far bigger than he had been and my walls burned in the most delicious way as he entered me. When he was fully seated inside of me, Harry stayed still for a moment, letting me adjust. He planted kisses on my chest, moving up my neck to my lips. I ran my fingers through his hair and bit my lip when we broke apart. "You can move." I whispered, and Harry kissed me one last time before linking my fingers with his and beginning to thrust in and out of me slowly.

It was fucking incredible. I've had sex before, but not like this. We were like two pieces of a puzzle finally coming together - we fit perfectly. He set a rhythm that had every nerve in my body lit up like a live wire, and I was soon whimpering underneath him. "Harry, please, more." I begged, and Harry smirked. "Like this, maybe?" He said, changing his angle a little bit and speeding up. I gasped and arched my back a little as the change in position made him go deeper, biting my lip and nodding vigorously. "Oh fuck yes, just like that." I moaned, grinding my hips up against him. Harry growled and set an unforgiving pace, making me writhe and moan underneath him. Everything became fuzzy and clouded by lust, the desire making my head spin. The pleasure actually made me forget how to speak English for a moment. "Oh, mio Dio, ti senti così bene, Harry!" I whined, and Harry let out a loud moan, making me smirk internally - he gets turned on by me speaking to him in Italian. I'd have to remember that. I felt Harry pushing me closer and closer to the edge and I grabbed his shoulders, looking up at him desperately. "I'm so close, please baby!" I pleaded, and Harry reached a hand down in-between us, rubbing my clit furiously and sucking on my neck. "Fucking cum for me." He growled in my ear and I felt my body become tense up only moments later as my second orgasm of the night washed over me, making my mind go blank as the blinding pleasure overtook me. Harry didn't last long after that - my pulsing walls gripping his cock made him shoot inside of me, curses intermixed with my name falling from his lips. He kissed me deeply as we both recovered from our highs, his length still buried deep inside of me. "I love you. Holy shit, I love you." He said, breathing hard. I giggled weakly and kissed him again, smiling. "Love you more. Way more."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the most fun/red face-inducing chapter to write yet, and I can promise it's only gonna get worse from here on out. Thank you so much for reading! I hope you loved this chapter, sorry if you're ruined at this point! Make sure you bookmark Like The Fairytales so you can be updated every time I post a new chapter - every Monday! Also, feel free to leave a review - I read them all! Thank you my loves!
> 
>  
> 
> Translation:
> 
> Anna's Mom: I'm so proud of you, little girl! You've worked so hard for this
> 
> Anna: Oh my god, you feel so good, Harry!


	7. Chapter 7

In case you didn't already know, dating a celebrity is like a job by itself - especially when no one else knows you're together. There were instructions from Harry's publicist daily on how to avoid the backlash if we were exposed, but what good was trying to avoid being exposed if you weren't even in the same country? I hadn't seen Harry since my graduation, except through Skype. His life was a blur of promo shoots and festival appearances and interviews lately, but I had to accept that if I wanted Harry, this was the reality I was going to have to live with. 

It was the first week of September when Harry surprised me by flying out to see me for a few days. I didn't think I would be seeing him for another month, so it was a wonderful surprise and shock to see him walk through my front door. I was sitting on my couch reading when I heard the lock click and saw the door opening, sending a wave of panic through me. I instinctively began to reach under the couch, where I kept a baseball bat. When I saw Harry though, I squealed with delight and shot up, rushing over and jumping on him, knocking his bags out of his hands and hugging him tightly. "Hi, baby." He laughed, holding me and kissing my neck. "What are you doing here?" I asked, sliding off of him and smiling. "I missed you." Harry said like it was the most simple thing in the world. He missed me, so he had dropped everything and flew across an ocean to see me. I grinned and stood on tiptoe, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him slowly. "I love you, Haz." I said when we broke apart. Harry grinned and kissed me again, holding me against him. "I love you too, Princess."

\-----

 

"Hey Harry, time to eat!" I yelled into the living room, taking the chicken breasts out of the oven. "Damn baby, that smells good." Harry said, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling my back against his chest, kissing my neck. "If you don't stop that, we're never going to eat dinner." I said breathlessly, trying to stir mashed potatoes but getting caught up in Harry's lips leaving pink marks all over my neck and shoulder. "I'd rather eat something else." Harry said in a low voice, his lips brushing against my ear. "Fuck.." I moaned, turning off the stove and wiggling out of Harry's grip. "If you help with the dishes, you'll get some mind-blowing sex. I promise." Harry groaned and I laughed, kissing him and getting out plates and glasses.

Halfway through dinner, Harry put a tiny box on the table and pushed it over to me. I looked at it and set my fork down, picking it up gently. "What's this?" I said curiously, smiling a little. Harry shrugged, relaxing in his chair. "Open it and see, baby." I grinned, taking off the ribbon and opening the box quickly. But, my heart stopped when I did. "Harry...this is the key I gave you to my house...why are you giving me this?" I said, my voice shaking. Harry looked me right in the eye and said very seriously, "Because I don't need it anymore." He may as well have just punched me in the face. I felt my heart rip in two and tears clouded my eyes as I stared at the little brass key. "You couldn't just say 'I want to break up with you'? You had to think of some creative way to tell me that everything we had is over?" I said, my voice breaking and the tears finally falling. Harry's eyes widened in horror and he pulled me into his lap, wiping my tears away and holding me tightly. "No, no, no baby, I'm not breaking up with you. God no, why would I throw away the most perfect thing in my life?" He said softly, kissing my forehead. "Fuck, I should have listened to Liam. He said this shit wouldn't work." Harry mumbled into my hair, kissing my head. "What exactly were you trying to do?" I said, my voice still trembling.

Harry sighed and pulled another little box out from under his chair, handing it to me. "You'll like this one, I promise." Harry said, smiling and giving me a small kiss. I opened up the box and saw another key sitting on tissue paper. This one was silver and had a tiny gold crown on it. "Is this the key to Buckingham Palace or something?" I said, looking at Harry confusedly. Harry laughed and shook his head, tightening his hold on my waist. "No, baby. It's a key for my princess, to my house." I looked at Harry with wide eyes, my mouth falling into an O shape. "A key to your place? But babe, that's kind of pointless. I mean it's sweet, but I can't afford plane tickets to go see you whenever I want to." I said sadly. Harry nodded, his smile never fading. "I know. I want to see you every single day. I want to wake up beside you, see your beautiful face every morning, and fall asleep each night with you in my arms. I want that forever." He said quietly, looking into my eyes. "Will you move in with me, Anna?" Harry asked, smiling at me.

I stared at him, stunned. "You want me to pack up all my stuff and move to London to live with you?" I said, not able to believe the words coming out of my mouth. Harry nodded, and I could see the doubt creeping into his eyes at my words. “Harry...it’s not that I don’t want to, but don’t you think it’s a little soon? We’ve only been going out for a few months.” I said slowly, examining the small key. Harry frowned, looking at me with pleading eyes. “I know it seems rushed, but...it just feels right. I’ve never felt this strongly about anyone before. You make me happy just with your presence, and I want to be around you all the time, as weird as that may sound. So, will you give it a shot?” Harry said, and I could tell that he was trying not to sound like he was begging. I was quiet for a few more moments, thinking through his offer. Conveniently, my lease on this house was up in the next few weeks, and I still hadn’t found a teaching job in the area. It seemed like almost perfect timing that Harry wanted me to move in with him right now. And even though any normal person would think this was a crazy thing to do, Harry's and my relationship was anything but normal, and I was learning to just go with things. So, I smiled and nodded, kissing him. "Yes, Harry, I will. Just give me a little while to sort everything out." I murmured against his lips, wrapping my arms around his neck. Harry kissed me back enthusiastically, holding me against him firmly.

Harry swept his hand across the table, knocking everything onto the ground, and laid me on top of the table. Normally I would have yelled at him for shattering perfectly good plates and glasses, but the way he was hovering over me and sucking dark marks into my neck, making me arch my back; it was hotter than holy hell. "I'm still hungry, baby, I think it's time for dessert." Harry whispered in my ear. I moaned and sat up, pulling off my shirt and his, sucking a dark pink mark into his skin just below his collarbone while he busied himself with my bra clasp. Once Harry had thrown it across the kitchen, he shoved me back down onto the table, kissing me roughly. I wrapped my legs around his waist, moaning softly into his mouth. Harry started kissing his way down my body, leaving angry-looking marks everywhere he went. "You're never gonna see me in a bikini this summer, baby." I moaned, biting my lip when I saw him pulling down the zipper of my shorts with his teeth. "No problem. I don't like tan lines anyway." Harry said, yanking off my shorts. He knelt down in front of me, rubbing me gently through my panties, which were quickly becoming very damp. Harry placed a soft kiss on my clit through the fabric and I shivered, biting my lip. Harry stood back up, sucking more marks on my skin, driving me fucking insane. "Harry, please, you know I hate it when you tease me!" I whined. "I've been dying to have your tongue inside me again...ever since graduation, it's all I can think about. You made me arch my back and scream your name for everyone to hear." I said in a low voice, playing with my breasts and looking up at Harry. Harry stood there for a second, just staring at me, his eyes dark. In one swift movement, he actually ripped my panties off of me, got on his knees, and yanked me forward so that my dripping center was right in front of his face. "You know dirty talk drives me fucking crazy." Harry growled, licking a flat stripe up my slit. I gasped and closed my eyes, relief washing over me from finally being touched. Harry sucked on my clit hungrily, alternating between tonguing it and flicking it. He used his fingers to spread me apart, lapping at my core like a man who had never drunk water before. "Harry...don't stop..." I moaned, writhing beneath him from the wicked things he was doing to me. Harry pulled away and looked at me, standing up and locking eyes with me as he slowly inched one finger deep inside me. I moaned and looked up at Harry helplessly, silently begging him for more. Harry understood and grinned, shoving another finger in and curling them, immediately brushing against that spot deep inside me, his spot. "Fuck!!" I shouted, sitting up and grabbing Harry's shoulders. Harry pushed me back and held me down with one hand curled tightly around my neck, and began to finger me harshly. "Oh fuck, fuck Harry, yes!!" I whimpered, grabbing his arm and looking up at him. Harry smirked and did a come-hither motion inside of me, making me arch my back off the table. "Fanculo! Sí, per favore, io sono così vicino!" I pleaded, slipping into my Italian. Harry loved when I spoke Italian, especially during sex. He got back down on his knees, and sucked hard on my clit, his fingers unrelenting. "Fuck Harry, I'm gonna come!" I cried, shaking under him. Harry didn't understand much Italian, but he could read my body like a book. He bit down on my clit and I came undone underneath him, gushing all over his face and crying out his name.

Harry stood up, licking his lips and fingers, smirking. "Tastes like heaven." He said, licking the last drops of me off of his fingers. He stared down at me, his gaze almost possessive. "God, I love seeing you like this. Red-faced, panting, begging..." He trailed off, rubbing my thighs gently. I sat up quickly, kissing him hard and moaning at the taste of myself still on his lips. Harry groaned and slipped his tongue into my mouth, one hand moving into my hair and the other to my lower back. I popped the button and zipper on his jeans and slipped off the table, whirling us around so that he was leaning against the table and I was on my knees.

"Who's begging now?" I smirked, yanking his jeans and boxers down. His cock sprang free, almost fully hard and I moaned, wrapping my hands firmly around the base, flicking the tip lightly with my tongue. Harry groaned and glared down at me, his eyes dark. "Don't fucking tease, Anna." He growled. I bit my lip and licked a long stripe from the base all the way up, taking him into my mouth. A loud moan fell from Harry's lips and I inwardly smirked, pleased that I had the power to make him react like this. I grabbed his thighs and started to take him deeper, letting the tip hit the back of my throat. I swallowed around him and Harry grabbed a fistful of my hair, cursing. "Oh, fucking hell!" He moaned, looking down at me. I ran my hands up and down his thighs, looking at him innocently as I bobbed my head on his cock. When I ran my tongue along the vein on the underside of his length, Harry swore loudly and pushed me off of him, pulling me up and kissing me deeply. "Get on the table and spread your legs." He rasped in my ear, sucking harshly on my neck. I whimpered and did as he said, getting back onto the wooden surface and opening my legs slowly.

"Are you still safe, baby?" Harry asked, running his hands up and down my thighs. I groaned, shaking my head. "I ran out of pills, please tell me you have a condom." Harry nodded, grabbing his jeans and rifling through the pockets. "You're gonna fucking get it..." He grumbled. I looked up at Harry, sucking on my lower lip. "What are you gonna do, Daddy?" Harry stared at me for a moment, halfway done with tearing open a condom packet. "Fuck me..." He murmured, gazing at my body laid on the table for his like his favorite treat. I giggled and sat up, taking the condom from him and rolling it on slowly. "Well, if you want that, you'd better get on with it Daddy. I've been so patient all night." I whispered, grazing my teeth over his Adam's apple. Harry ran his hands through my hair, yanking my head back and kissing me heatedly as he laid me down on the table. He lifted my legs over his shoulders and our eyes locked as he pushed into me slowly, whimpers and moans falling from both of our mouths. "Jesus Christ, baby..." Harry groaned, pressing a kiss to the inside of my calf. I let my head fall back against the table, my eyes fluttering shut. "Please move, Harry. I've been waiting so long for this." I moaned, running my hands through his sweaty curls. Harry intertwined his fingers with mine and held our hands above my head as he began to thrust in and out of me, making small cries fall from my lips. "Oh fuck Harry, yes!" I moaned, a delicious burn forming in my lower belly. Harry let go of one of my hands and grabbed my hip, lifting me up a little so that he was thrusting deeper, and hitting me right there. "SHIT!" I screamed, arching my back. "Harry, don't stop! Please, you feel so good!" Harry growled and began pounding in and out of me, swears and moans falling from both of our mouths. "Oh my god, you're so fucking tight, Anna!" Harry moaned, grinding his hips into mine and making me see stars. "Harry, I'm gonna..oh fucking hell, fuck me!" I cried, digging my nails into Harry's back in desperation. "Let go, baby, cum for me." Harry said, biting my neck and pushing me over the edge, my orgasm consuming me. I cried out Harry's name over and over as the pleasure coursed through my body, my skin heating and flushing from head to toe. Harry began to thrust faster and I dug my fingernails into his biceps, egging him on. "C'mon baby, cum for me. I wanna feel you cum, Daddy." I moaned in his ear, his thrusts torturing my still-quivering walls. Harry tensed for a moment and growled my name as he emptied himself into the condom, pounding into me fast through his high, gradually slowing down until he was fully seated inside of me, laying on top of me and breathing rapidly. I felt my heart try to return to a normal pace as I ran my fingers through his sweaty curls, letting my head fall back against the table. Harry laid his head on my chest, his breathing beginning to slow. "Holy shit." He breathed, and I giggled weakly, still brushing my fingers through his damp hair.

\-----

I stepped out of the shower, yawning as I toweled off my hair and pulled on one of my big t-shirts and a pair of panties. Harry had already hopped out and was cleaning up the last bits of the shattered plates from our dinner adventure, and locking up the house. I started to run a brush through my hair and smiled when I heard Harry come in and flop down on the bed. I shut off the bathroom light and walked over, giggling at the tired man lying in front of me. "Comfy?" I asked, crawling on top of him. Harry smirked and ran his hands up my thighs and across my ass, smacking it playfully and making me shiver. "Now I am." I rolled my eyes and kissed him lightly, laying on his chest. Harry was quiet for a moment, then chuckled. "Look at the clock, love." He said, running his fingers through my damp hair. I glanced over at the neon green numbers that read 12:17 am. "Happy birthday, baby." Harry murmured, kissing my forehead. I looked up at him, smiling widely. "You remembered."

\-----

Time had passed quicker than I thought I would, and before I knew it I was walking off the plane and into London Heathrow. I hitched my bag over my shoulder, walking through the arrivals terminal in search of the main entrance. I stopped by the baggage carousel and grabbed my big suitcase, quietly thanking God that I had shipped the rest of my stuff over to Harry's flat.

Once I had gotten through immigration, where the officers gave me a bit of a rough time about my lack of luggage and my new residency, I hurried towards the exit. When I got to the terminal, I looked around for Harry, my excitement rising. We had only gotten to see each other through Skype ever since he saw me nearly a month ago. I was dying to be in his arms again. My heart sank, though, when I saw a burly man in a black t-shirt and black jeans holding a sign that said "Annalisa Gagliano". I walked over and forced a smile on my face. "I'm Annalisa." The man looked at me and smiled, taking my heavy bag from me. "Welcome to London, Miss. I'm Jim, I'll be taking you home. Shall we?" He led me out of the airport to a car waiting right outside of the terminal. I bit my lip, hoping Harry would be in the backseat to surprise me when Jim opened the door, but my hopes were dashed again.

Through the long drive, I tried to familiarize myself with the streets; where shops were, how far it was between schools, where the park was, etc. We pulled up to a nice looking flat and Jim helped me out, taking my things to the door. I put my key in the lock and turned it, and the door swung open easily. "I think Harry will call if you guys need anything else." Jim said, smiling at me and getting back into the car. I smiled and thanked him, taking my stuff inside and closing the door.

I heard music drifting through the house, and I smelled something - snickerdoodles. My eyes widened and I walked towards the kitchen, my heart beating faster as I went. The music and smells hit me full force as I walked in, and I bit my lip, smiling at the sight of my sexy boyfriend baking and singing along terribly to some pop song on the radio. "You ditched me." I said softly, knowing he could still hear me. Harry turned around and grinned when he saw me standing there, striding over and picking me up, spinning me around. "Put me down! You're still in trouble, mister!" I laughed, clinging to him. "You're here, I can't believe it." Harry whispered, kissing my cheek and neck. His lips made my anger melt away almost instantly and I sighed, smiling. "I missed you so much." I said quietly, looking up at him. Harry grinned and pulled me against him, his hands gripping my hips and lower back. "Welcome home, Princess." He murmured, kissing me slowly.

Harry helped me bring my bag to his room, and I laughed when I saw the boxes of my stuff sitting in his room and a guest room. "I wasn't sure where you wanted to put everything so I didn't touch it." Harry said laughing, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Well, it's really wherever you say it's okay, Haz. It's your house." Harry grabbed my hand and pulled me over so I was standing in-between his legs, his hands resting on the backs of my thighs. "It's our house, love." I smiled and kissed him, my hands sliding up his arms. "I like the sound of that." Harry dug his fingers into my legs, making me moan slightly. I pushed him back on the bed and straddled him, and he grinned up at me. "Just couldn't wait to have me, could you?" He said, and I rolled my eyes, grinding my core against him and smirking when he groaned. "Anna, if you don't stop that I'm gonna cum in my... oh, fuck!" I stared at him, eyebrows raised. "You did not cum already." Harry shook his head, smacking his forehead. "I forgot one bloody thing on the shopping list today - condoms." I bit my lip and leaned down slowly so my chest was pressed tightly against his. "That's one of the little surprises I had for you, baby. I got my new pills, we're safe again." I whispered in his ear. Harry groaned loudly and rolled us over, taking his shirt off and pulling at mine. "You're a fucking minx, you know that? What other surprises do you have waiting for me?" I grinned and gestured to my body, raising an eyebrow. "Why don't you take off my clothes and find out?" Harry stripped me quickly and let out a strangled moan when he saw that I wasn't wearing a bra, just a small pair of white lace cheekies. "God fucking damn." Harry grunted, getting on his knees in front of the bed and yanking me forward so my legs were dangling over the edge. He spread my legs, looking at me hungrily. His eyes flickered up to meet mine for a moment, and I sucked in a breath when I saw how dark they were. I reached down and began to rub circles against my clit slowly, trying to get Harry where I wanted him the most, and it worked. He ripped my hand away and pulled my panties down quickly and practically dove in-between my legs, his tongue delving deep inside of me. I was burning for him and practically right on the edge when I heard the sound of the doorbell pierce the air. "No, no, please don't!" I begged as Harry got up, an irritated look appearing on his face as he pulled his shirt back on. "I have to love, it might be security." I flopped back on the bed, trying to regulate my breathing. "If you're not back in 5 minutes, I'm finishing myself off." Harry looked at me from the doorway, disbelief on his face. "You wouldn't." I raised my eyebrows, propping myself up on my forearm and letting my other hand drift down my stomach, giggling when Harry dashed from the room and down the stairs. It was quiet for a moment, then I heard him yell "Anna, can you come down here?" I whimpered in frustration and pulled my clothes back on, heading down the stairs. I squealed, however, when I saw Sophia and Liam standing there. "Hi, love!" Sophia said, rushing forward to hug me. "You're finally in London!" I hugged her back tightly, laughing. "It's crazy, I know! I can't believe it happened so fast, either." I said as we walked into the flat. Liam and Sophia walked into the kitchen and Harry stopped me, pulling me back into the hallway and kissing me before I could protest. "What was that for?" I said, flushing slightly, and Harry smiled. "I'm just happy you're here. Welcome home, love."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MORE NSFW I HOPE YOU GUYS WERE PREPARED. Thank you SO much for reading, my lovelies! Make sure you bookmark LTF so you can get notified when I update - Mondays! Also, feel free to leave a kudos or review - I read them all! Love y'all!
> 
>  
> 
> Translation for anyone who needs it:
> 
> Anna: Fuck! Yes, please, I'm so close!


	8. Chapter 8

After a few weeks, I was settling in well in London. My mom still called at least once a week to make sure I was doing okay living with all the "foglie di tè", or tea leaves. My Italian mother did not think very highly of the Brits or French and was under the impression that all British people's lives revolved around tea. Honestly, she wasn't very wrong.

My work authorization had come through from the Home Office, along with the confirmation that my credentials were valid and recognized in the United Kingdom, so I had been going from school to school to drop off my resume and interview with different headmasters. Harry had decided that I needed a break from job hunting and took me out for the day to show me around the neighborhood. We walked around the streets, weaving in and out of different shops, laughing. I breathed a sigh of relief every time we walked out of a shop and there wasn’t paparazzi trying to surround us. At a stop walk, I leaned up and kissed Harry softly, smiling at him. "What was that for?" He said, grinning. "For giving me a home." I said simply, squeezing his hand in mine. Harry wrapped his arm around my shoulders and kissed my forehead, looking down at me. "Wherever you are, I'm home."

\-----

I quickly learned that I would need to get used to being alone quite often, as Harry's schedule was beyond hectic. He tried to be home as much as he could, so the feeling of isolation wouldn't hit me so hard, but I told him that I understood - his job was important, even though I was important too. More than one night, he'd come home to see me asleep on the couch, sitting up waiting for him. Lately, he would also find the open wine bottle on the kitchen table and empty glass, along with the latest job rejection letter. It was becoming nearly impossible to deal with, and I started to worry that I wouldn't find a job until the next school year. Harry was nothing but supportive, telling me that I just needed to keep at it, and I would find a job in no time - that any school would be lucky to have me on their staff. Of course, with a pop star as my boyfriend, income wasn't a problem, but I didn't want to live off of Harry's money - I'd been self-sufficient for years and I wasn't going to stop just because I was dating a financially stable man.

It was nearly October before I got any good news. I was cooking dinner while Harry did some album rehearsal in the music room. I saw an unknown number pop up on my phone and I hesitated before grabbing it and answering. "Hello?" I said, and a man cleared his throat on the other end. "Yes, Annalisa Gagliano? This is Geoffrey Marsden at Westminster Primary, we spoke at your interview here last week?" My eyes bugged out of my head and I nearly dropped my phone in the saucepan. "Oh yes, hi, Mr. Marsden! What can I do for you?" I said, cringing at how eager I sounded. "The board has looked over all our applicants, and after some consideration, we have decided to extend you an offer of employment. You would be taking the spot of one of our Year 4 teachers, Ms. Lewis. She's heading off on maternity leave in a fortnight, so you would be her replacement for the rest of the school year. If you accept, I will be sending you an official offer letter by post tomorrow." I was completely speechless, my heart going into overdrive. "Of course I accept, thank you so much, Mr. Marsden! I'm very ready to get started." Mr. Marsden congratulated me once again before hanging up, and I let out a shriek of excitement, jumping around the kitchen. Harry rushed in, his face worried. "What happened? Are you okay, Anna?" I nodded, practically bouncing up and down still. "That was the headmaster of Westminster! I got the job!!" Harry let out a yell of excitement and picked me up, spinning me around and making me laugh with glee. "I told you it would happen! I told you!" Harry laughed, setting me down and kissing me. I kissed him back, hugging him tightly. "I'll never doubt you again." I teased, laughing harder when Harry bit my lip in mock anger. "Well, now you have one less thing to worry about for tomorrow." Harry said, walking to the stove to take the saucepan off. I raised my eyebrows as I poured two glasses of wine. "Tomorrow?" I said, and Harry stared at me. "We're having dinner with my family, remember?" I choked on my wine and coughed, nodding. "I definitely blocked that out of my mind." I said, and Harry rolled his eyes. "Anna, they're excited to meet you. You have nothing to be nervous about." Harry said, spooning sauce over our chicken and carrying our plates to the kitchen table. "You say that..." I grumbled, following him. I was excited to meet Harry's family but I couldn't help but be nervous - I wanted to make a good impression, and I didn't know what they would think of us moving so fast in our relationship. "It's going to be fine, Anna. I promise." Harry said sincerely as we sat down to eat, and I sighed, trying to force myself to believe him. 

\-----

I smoothed my skirt nervously as Harry locked the car, leading me up the path to his childhood home. I was finally meeting his parents and sister, and I had never been so nervous in my entire life. "Just relax, Anna. They're going to love you." Harry said reassuringly, kissing my forehead. I smiled up at him, taking a deep breath. Harry rang the bell and I heard footsteps coming down the hall before the door was opened by a smiling dark-haired woman. "Oh, you're here!" She hugged Harry tightly and he laughed and returned her hug. She turned to me and smiled warmly, laughing at the look on my face, which I could only assume was a nervous smile. "You must be Anna. It's so lovely to meet you dear! I'm Anne, Harry's mum." She hugged me tightly and I relaxed slightly, my smile becoming a little more genuine. "It's so good to finally meet you! I've been bugging Harry to set this up for weeks." I said, walking inside and hanging my coat next to the door.

We walked into the kitchen and I saw a slightly balding man and blonde girl standing by the stove. "Haz!" The girl yelled happily, coming over to hug Harry. "Hey Gem." Harry laughed, hugging her back. "Gemma, this is my girlfriend, Anna. Anna, this is my older sister, Gemma." Gemma let go of Harry and smiled at me, hugging me as well. "You're far more gorgeous than the pictures Harry has shown us! How in the world did you snatch this one, Hazza?" Gemma teased, making Harry's cheeks flush as I laughed. "He got lucky." I teased, standing on tiptoe and kissing Harry's cheek. The man stepped forward and gave me a hug as well. "Lovely to meet you, Anna. I'm Robin, Harry and Gemma's step-dad." I smiled at him, nodding. "It's good to meet you too! I've heard such nice things about you." Robin laughed and shot Harry a look, turning back to the stove. "Dinner will be ready in a bit. Harry, could you drag Anne to the kitchen for a tick?" Harry nodded and left the kitchen in search of his mom, and I walked into the living room with Gemma. "So, Harry told me you're a teacher?" I nodded, smiling as we sat down in the comfy chairs. "Yeah, I teach Year 4's." Gemma laughed, shaking her head. "You're a saint, girl. That age is a nightmare." I shrugged at her, chuckling. "I've got my tricks to make them behave." I joked.

Soon we all sat down to dinner and I realized that Harry had been right - I had nothing to worry about. Robin and Anne were genuinely interested in my career and life before I met Harry, and Gemma wasn't doing the whole protective-big-sister thing. It warmed my heart seeing Harry interact with his parents and his sister. He was always bombarded by demands from his fans and management, so it was nice to see him just get to relax and be Harry. Plus, I never had this growing up - the happy family sitting down to dinner, joking and laughing and talking about their days. It made me sad on some level that it took me this long in my life to experience this, but I was happy that I was being welcomed into a family this loving and close. 

After dinner was over, Gemma and I were sat in the living room having a few more drinks and gossiping. "Do you want some more wine?" I asked Gemma, getting off the sofa and reaching out for her empty glass. She smiled and nodded, handing it to me. "Thanks, love! Red, please." I headed towards the kitchen, stopping when I heard Harry and his parents' voices drifting through the door. "She's such a lovely girl, Harry, and she fits right in with us! Please bring her over whenever you want." I heard Anne say. Robin murmured in agreement. "I've never seen a girl make you this happy, Harry. You need to hold onto her. Please come back soon, both of you." I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face hearing how much Anne and Robin liked me. "Thanks, you guys. She was really worried if you were going to like her or not, no matter how many times I told her that you would love her. Honestly, I don't know how I got so lucky. She's beautiful and smart and funny and just...perfect." Harry said, and I could hear the smile in his voice. "Harry, I really think she might be the one!" Anne said in a hushed voice. "Mum, I know she's the one." My breath caught in my throat and I stared blankly ahead, shock and happiness bubbling inside of me. I composed myself and walked into the kitchen, smiling at the three of them. "Sorry, Gem wanted some more wine! I hope I'm not interrupting anything!" I said, trying to act nonchalant. Harry shook his head and kissed my cheek, grabbing a new bottle from the rack. "You're fine love, we were just talking. Did you two finish the last bottle already?" He teased, making me roll my eyes. "There were five people going at it, jerk." I said, sticking my tongue out playfully and walking out of the kitchen, smiling to myself when I heard Harry excuse himself to follow me.

\-----

A few hours later, we were back in our flat, and Harry was hanging up our coats. "Did you have a good time, Princess?" He asked, walking back to where I stood at the kitchen island. I nodded, wrapping my arms around his neck and smiling. "Your family is so lovely, Haz. I'm so glad I got to meet them." Harry grinned and kissed my forehead. "They loved you, just like I said they would." I sighed and looked up at him for a minute, that melting feeling overwhelming me again. "I heard you and your parents talking." I said quietly, biting my lip. Harry looked confused for a moment, then raised his eyebrows. "Oh, you heard that?" I nodded, a smile creeping onto my face. "Oh yeah, every word. Especially the part where you told your mother you know that I'm the one." Harry brushed his hands up and down my sides and he shrugged, his face straight but redness creeping into his cheeks. "Yeah, I mean...you're okay, I guess." I dropped my hands and rolled my eyes, slipping out of his grasp and walking away. I squealed, however, when I felt his hands grab my hips and pull me back, picking me up and setting me on the island. "You're spectacular. You're beautiful and wicked smart and witty as hell, and you're mine." Harry said, his large hands gripping my thighs. I ran my hands over his chest, smiling at him and kissing his lips softly. "Yours. All yours." I said, giggling as his fingers traced the edge of my small plaid skirt.

"Mine. All mine." Harry said quietly, pushing my skirt up on my thighs slowly. I bit my lip, my heart rate picking up. "I know Gem made that ridiculous pie tonight, but I want a different dessert." Harry murmured, a devilish grin crossing his face. I smirked, lifting my skirt and giggling when I saw Harry groan at the sight of my white lace thong - his favorite pair. "Is this what you had in mind?" I asked, tracing the hem of my thong teasingly. Harry nodded and bent down, kissing my hip bones before sucking my clit through the fabric. I moaned softly and squirmed under his touch, biting my lip. "Babe, please..." I whimpered, looking down at him. Harry pulled away, raising an eyebrow. "Ah ah ah, that's not my name." He said in a low voice. I bit my lip, leaning down so my face was right in front of his. "Please eat me, Daddy." I whispered, my lips barely brushing against his. Harry's eyes grew darker and he growled, pushing me back down onto the island and pulling my thong down my legs roughly. I moved my hand towards my knee-high socks to take them off but Harry grabbed my hand and pushed it away. "Leave them on." He rasped and I smirked inwardly at this new kink of his. "You ready, Daddy?" I giggled, squealing excitedly when Harry picked me up. "Always ready." He growled playfully, climbing the stairs quickly. The look in his eyes when he kicked our bedroom door shut made a shudder go down my spine, and I knew I was in for a long, long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks for the patience, y'all! My job got incredibly hectic, which kept me from updating and ultimately made me make the decision to scrap the update schedule - I'll be updating frequently but there won't be a set day. Moving on - I hope y'all loved this chapter, things are gonna pick up soon! Please feel free to bookmark this story so you can get updated every time I post a new chapter! Also, feel free to leave a kudos/comment - I read and respond to them all! Love y'all!! - H xx


	9. Chapter 9

The warm morning light woke me up slowly, as did Harry's lips on the back of my neck. I hummed in appreciation, stretching out my muscles lightly as I cuddled back deeper into him. "Morning love." I said, turning in his arms and smiling sleepily at him. Harry smiled back and pecked my forehead, sighing. "I like waking up with you." I let out a tiny yawn, snuggling against him. "It's pretty great." I said, looking up at him happily. Harry kissed me properly, and I brushed my hands across his cheeks. It was Sunday, a day we usually spent in bed watching old movies together. I was busy getting lost in Harry when I heard my phone's cheerful ringtone, making me groan. I glanced over and saw that it was my mother, and remembered that I had promised I would call her - two days ago. There was no getting out of this one. "Don't...answer...that." Harry said between kisses. I pulled away and grabbed my phone, answering it as Harry pulled me back into his arms. "Ciao, Mamma." I said in a fake cheerful voice. Harry held me close, kissing the back of my neck and shoulders gently. I closed my eyes and smiled, relaxing into him. "Sì mamma, Harry e io sono entrambi facendo bene...no, non siamo ancora sposati!" I said in exasperation, rolling my eyes. Harry looked at me questioningly and I shook my head, smiling and giving him a slow, sweet kiss. "Sì mamma, sto mangiando bene. Harry è una cuoca meravigliosa, ti faccio sapere." I said, looking away from Harry. Harry sucked a dark spot into my neck and I groaned my face flushing. "Anna? Va tutto bene, tesoro?" My mother asked with concern. I tried to collect myself and ignore Harry's hands, which were starting to roam. "Sì, Mamma, sto bene. Solo un po mal di stomaco." I stammer. I could tell that she didn't believe me, but she went with it. "Va bene, provare po 'd'acqua frizzante. E 'sempre ti ha aiutato come un bambino." Harry's hand reached my clit and he began rubbing, making my hips buck against his hand. "Va bene mamma, grazie! Senti, devo andare. Un sacco di lavanderia e tutto. Io ti amo!"

I hung up the phone quickly and rolled over, straddling Harry and hitting his chest. "She totally knew what you were doing, Harry!" I said, genuinely irritated. Harry laughed, rubbing my thighs and smirking up at me. "You love it, don't deny it, Princess. Now come sit on my face." I stared at him for a moment before shaking my head and leaning down to kiss him. "You're absolutely ridiculous. You're lucky I love you, idiot." I mumble against his lips, crawling up his body and straddling his face. "I'm a very lucky man, baby girl." Harry groaned, pulling me down roughly. I gasped and grabbed the headboard, my head falling forward as we resumed what was surely going to be a very long morning.

\-----

I looked around my classroom and closed my eyes, taking a moment to compose myself. Today was my first day at Westminster and even though I was excited, I was beyond nervous. Student teaching is nothing like being in charge of your own class. I looked up at the clock and saw that I had about 5 minutes before the front doors would open and the students would be let in. I took a deep breath and unlocked the door to my classroom, watching as the chattering students made their way down the hall. I greeted the ones who walked towards my classroom, instructing them to find the desk with their name tag on it. When the final morning bell rang and all the students were sitting at their desks, I stood at the front of the classroom, smiling at them. "Good morning, everyone. My name is Miss Gagliano, and I'm going to be your teacher for the rest of this year. Now, I know that I liked knowing things about my teachers when I was your age, so I'll tell you a little bit about me and then you can tell me some things about yourselves. Sound good?" The students all nodded, so I continued. "Well, my first name is Annalisa, but people just call me Anna, and I'm 23 years old, so not much older than you lot." I said, earning a laugh from the kids. "My accent is a little funny because I'm Italian American. I don't have any brothers or sisters, but I have lots of cousins. My favorite color is pink, and my favorite food is bananas. Now, I want to know three fun things about each of you. Andrew, would you like to share?" I said, smiling and gesturing to the boy sitting in front. The students began to rattle off about themselves and I smiled to myself, thinking how lucky I was to get such an enthusiastic group of kids to teach.

A few hours later, it was time for the EC rotation or extra curricular. The students had a different class each day - foreign language, physical education, computer sciences, art, and library education. Today was our class' day to visit the library, along with two others. I instructed the children to pick out one book on their reading level for them to finish this week, then stood by the tables with one of the other teachers. "You're the new one, yeah?" I heard her say. I looked up and nodded, smiling. "Yeah, I'm Anna Gagliano, it's good to meet you...?" I trailed off, shaking her hand. "Perrie Richards, and it's good to meet you as well. I teach one of the other Year 4 classes. I know you'll like it here, everyone is quite nice." She glanced away from me and I saw her cheeks flush, her eyes immediately going to the floor. I followed where her gaze was and saw the librarian attempting to look busy, the same flush on her face. I looked back at Perrie, smirking. "I'd say they're a little more than nice." Perrie's blush grew darker and she looked at me with what I could only describe as desperate longing. "I've worked here for two whole years and I've never worked up the courage to talk to her outside of school-related things. She's so...out of my league." I raised my eyebrows, looking at Perrie's blue eyes, blonde hair, and her killer figure. "I'm sorry, have you seen yourself? You're really selling yourself short, Perrie. But hey, if there's one thing I'm good at, it's meddling." I said walking away, and I smiled when I heard Perrie hiss frantically at me as I made my way over to the circulation desk.

The librarian looked up as I walked over, giving me a friendly smile. "Hi, what can I help you with?" I let out a small sigh of relief when I heard her Boston accent - I wasn't the only American. "I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm Anna Gagliano, the new Year 4 teacher." I said, extending my hand. She shook it, smiling at me. "Nice to meet you. I'm Lauren James. Most of the people on staff just call me Laur, though. It's nice to have another American around here!" She laughed, and I laughed with her. She obviously had a wonderful personality, an adorable bookworm persona, and she was gorgeous to boot - ice blue eyes, reddish brown hair, and a beautiful smile. "So, I couldn't help but notice the way you and Perrie were looking at each other." I said quietly, and Laur's eyes got wide. I held my hands up, shaking my head. "Hey, don't worry, I'm not going to report you to the headmaster or anything. And I don't judge - love is love." Laur relaxed a little, looking past me at Perrie, who was talking to some of her students. "She's perfect. Gorgeous and smart and great with her students...but I can't work up the guts to talk to her." I raised my eyebrows, smiling. "You know, she feels the same way about you." Laur looked at me in shock, and I placed my hand over hers, giving her a soft smile. "If I were you, I'd take a chance. I'd say your odds are pretty good." I laughed, heading back towards the shelves to round up my students. 

\-----

I walked up the steps to our flat, thoroughly exhausted after my first day of teaching. I unlocked the door and walked in, slightly disappointed when I saw that our home was dark and empty. Honestly, I knew Harry had been working all day so it was a long shot that he would have been home, but a girl can hope, right? I set my things down in the entryway, walking upstairs to change out of my work clothes. When I was finally wearing sweats and an old tank top, I made my way down into the kitchen for a well-deserved glass of wine. I was sitting at the island sipping and scrolling through my phone absentmindedly, wondering when Harry was going to get home. I didn't have to wonder for long though - soon, I heard the front door open and I let out a little squeal, turning to see him walking into the kitchen with a bouquet of flowers. "Holy shit, how did I get this lucky?" I laughed, getting up and going over to kiss him. "I figured you'd like flowers more than apples, Miss Teacher." Harry said, grinning down at me. "I'll make dinner, tell me everything." He said, shrugging off his jacket and heading over to the stove. I looked down at the flowers in my arms and smiled to myself, thinking how lucky I was - my life was finally turning out the way I always hoped it would. 

Or so I thought.

\-----

In the weeks after I accepted my teaching position, Harry started to become distant. He said that he and the boys were busy working on the new album, and I gave him the benefit of the doubt and never questioned him. But soon his behavior became more suspicious. He would lock his phone and set it face down when I entered the room, he was spending more and more time at work, coming home late and sometimes smelling like alcohol. To top it off, photos had surfaced online of him with models at different bars and clubs. The pictures that bothered me the most were the ones of him with his ex-girlfriend Kendall Jenner, and she was making total bedroom eyes at him. When I confronted him about this, he said it wasn’t anything, that they had just happened to be in the same place at the same time and the media tried to spin it into a story. I tried to not let it bother me, but the little nagging voice in my head wouldn't shut up. "You've seen this all before" it would say. "The secrets, the excuses, you know what's happening." And of course, I ignored it. I had total trust in Harry - I knew he wouldn't betray me like that. At least, I hoped he wouldn't.

It didn't take long after that for me to finally snap. I was in the teacher's lounge after school had ended one Friday, making copies of worksheets for next week's lessons. Sat at one of the tables behind me were a bunch of teacher's assistants, all uni students, scrolling through their phones and grading classwork. "Did you see the new pictures of Harry Styles?" One of them said, and I felt my entire body stiffen. A few of them giggled madly, immediately launching into chattery gossip. "He was at that spot in Chelsea again with Kendall! I'll bet you 10 quid they're together by the end of the year." 

I didn't stick around to hear the rest. I grabbed my papers and stormed out of the room, hurrying into my classroom and gathering my things. As I loaded my stuff up and drove away from the school, I could practically hear my heart pounding and my blood rushing through my head. I knew exactly what night they were talking about - Harry had been working late once again, telling me that he went to the pub with Niall and Liam after they were done writing. And now there were pictures to prove that he was lying to my face. I didn't expect Harry to be home when I pulled up to our flat, and I was almost relieved when I saw that his car wasn't there. I needed some time to myself to calm down before Harry got home. I walked inside, discarding my things in the front hallway and heading upstairs to change into soft shorts and a t-shirt. I walked back down into the kitchen, throwing some leftovers into the microwave and shooting Harry a quick text. "Let me know when you're on your way home x" I pressed send and poured myself a glass of wine, sitting down with my dinner and waiting for whatever conversation with Harry was to come.

\-----

Eight hours. Eight fucking hours later, 2 in the morning to be exact, I was still sat up in the living room waiting for my inconsiderate, cheating, asshole boyfriend to get home. No matter how many times I checked my cell phone, there was no text from Harry saying he was on his way home. I had scrolled through Twitter for the last few hours and seen photos of Harry tonight at a club with Zayn, and two models that I didn't recognize, and that fucking bitch Kendall. I was furious and hurt. It didn't help that I had long since finished my bottle of wine, but that had been several hours ago and I wasn't drunk anymore. I couldn't blame my tears on the alcohol. This was all Harry. It hurt me to the core knowing that I wasn't enough to make him happy but it hurt, even more, seeing him have this whole other social circle that I knew nothing about and wasn't allowed to interact with. There were good reasons for why our relationship was a secret but that didn't mean that it didn't hurt every time Harry told interviewers that he didn't have a girlfriend, or when we couldn't be seen in public together that often. I wanted to be a part of his life fully, I wanted to be friends with his friends, and be able to introduce him to my friends as well.

Finally, at half past three, I heard the sound of keys in the front door. I thought I had given myself enough time to calm down, but seeing Harry stroll in through the front door, obviously still a little drunk made me pissed off all over again. "Oh, you're still up?" Harry said when he saw me sitting on the couch. I crossed my arms, raising an eyebrow. "Yes, I'm still up. You obviously didn't get my text, or you did and you just decided to not respond." Harry rolled his eyes at me, walking out of the room. "We're not doing this tonight, Anna." I heard him say, and I got up and followed him into the kitchen. "We're not doing what, exactly?" I said angrily, and Harry narrowed his eyes at me. "We're not doing this shtick where I come home late from work and you jump down my throat for not answering your texts. I'm not doing it, Anna." My mouth fell open as my temper flared at his words. "I wouldn't have to jump down your throat if you weren't out all night every night with God knows who while I'm sat at home waiting for you! Do you even check your phone when you're out?" I said, growing more angry with every second. "Probably not, right? You're too busy being balls deep in any model who will spread her legs for you." I spat, and Harry glared at me. "You actually believe I'm fucking random models every night? Are you truly that stupid, Anna?" Harry retorted, and his words made me snap. "Don't fucking call me stupid, Harry!" I yelled, and Harry's eyes widened at my outburst. "What the fuck am I supposed to think when I'm sitting at home waiting for you to walk through the front door, but all I see are pictures online of you at clubs and bars with the Instagram model sluts of the world? You have this whole other life that I'm not allowed to be a part of, and I'm starting to think you don't want me to be a part of it for this exact reason! So you can keep fucking whoever you want and believe that I'll never find out. I've already been that girl, Harry! I'm not doing it again! I'm done, I'm fucking done!" I screamed, and Harry slammed his fist down on the counter. "If you're so done, then leave! Get the fuck out, Anna!" He shouted, and the world stopped around me. My breath caught in my throat at his words, and my voice shook when I spoke. "Fine. I'll go." I said, turning quickly and hurrying up the stairs so Harry couldn't see the tears spilling down my cheeks. I slammed the door to our room, grabbing a bag and throwing clothes and toiletries into it blindly, trying to get my sobs under control. Once I figured I had enough clothes to last me a few days, I pulled my hoodie on and slipped on some shoes, picking up my bag and taking a deep breath before opening the door and walking down the stairs. Harry was still standing in the kitchen, his back to me. I could see his knuckles turning white from how tightly he was gripping the counter, and his shoulders heaved with the effort of his breathing - he was trying to calm himself down but it obviously wasn't working. At the sound of me taking my keys from the hall table, his head snapped up and he turned to look at me. Harry's eyes grew wide when he saw my keys and packed bag in hand, ready to leave him. "Anna-" He said, but I held my hand up. "Save it." I said bitterly, opening the front door and slamming it behind me as I hurried down the front steps to my car. Throwing my things inside, I jumped in and started the engine, driving away from Harry's flat as fast as I could. In my rearview mirror, I could see Harry running out into the street, his hands running through his curls as he watched me drive away from him, his face screwed up in disbelief and anguish.

\-----

It was late. So late that it was officially early. I had been driving aimlessly for almost three hours and had found myself parked beside the Thames River. The sky was starting to streak with early morning light, and I knew that eventually, I'd have to go back home. The thought of home made my eyes fill with tears again and I slammed my hands on the steering wheel, crying in frustration. "Stupido fottuto bastardo!" I screamed into the empty car, leaning my head against the wheel as the sobs took over my body once more. I couldn't believe that I had allowed this to happen to me again. I had given all of myself to this man, thinking that he was different from the rest - that I had found my Prince Charming. When I was a little girl I used to read fairy tales. In fairy tales, you meet Prince Charming and he's everything you ever wanted. In fairy tales, the bad guy is very easy to spot. The bad guy is always wearing a black cape so you always know who he is. Then you grow up and you realize that Prince Charming is not as easy to find as you thought. You realize the bad guy is not wearing a black cape and he's not easy to spot; he's really funny, and he makes you laugh, and he has perfect hair. After everything that had happened in the last few weeks, I had to wonder if Harry was just another bad guy in my fairytale that never seemed to have a happy ending.

After wiping the tears from my face and taking a couple deep breaths, I started up my car and began to drive back towards home - if I could call it that, still. I parked outside the flat, staring tentatively at the front door. The street was silent, our neighbors choosing to spend their Saturday morning sleeping in. I walked up the front steps slowly, unlocking the front door and pushing it open gently. I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding when I saw the view in front of me. The downstairs was completely destroyed. Glass littered the entryway and from the scattered flowers, I knew it was the vase that used to sit beside the front door. Ahead of me, I could see broken plates and glasses covering the hardwood floor, ripped pillows and destroyed books littering the ground, and furniture overturned. And in the center of all this destruction sat Harry, perched on the edge of the couch with his head in his hands. He looked completely broken, sitting there motionless, obviously too worn out to fight or cry anymore. I walked towards him slowly, freezing when I heard glass crunch under my feet. Harry's head snapped up and my heart clenched when I saw his tear-streaked face and red-rimmed eyes. He had been crying just as much as I had. "Anna." He breathed, and my voice was barely above a whisper when I spoke. "Harry..."

His name on my lips caused something to snap in Harry and he jumped up, striding over to me and pulling me against his chest. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Princess." He repeated over and over, arms wrapped tight around me. It took me a moment to respond, but eventually, I wrapped my arms around his middle, pressing my face into his chest. "I love you so much, Anna. More than anything in this world. You're everything to me. I could never want someone who isn't you." Harry murmured, his hands rubbing my back gently. I sniffed, refusing to look at his face still. "Then why are you never home? What do those girls have that I don't have? I know I'm not famous and I'm not as pretty or fit as they are, but I'm not that bad." I said quietly and I felt Harry pull away from me slightly. "Are you kidding me?" He said, walking around me so that my back was to his chest, and we were facing the large bay windows. When I stopped focusing my eyes on the gorgeous views of London illuminated by the slowly lightening sky, I saw Harry and I reflected in the glass, his eyes holding mine. "Look at yourself. Tell me what you see." Harry murmured, his hands holding my upper arms gently. I sighed, deflating a little when I took in my appearance, seeing how rough I really looked. "I see a girl with messy hair that she hasn't washed but needs to, a girl with thighs that touch too much and a stomach that has a little too much pudge to it, and a face that would never be on a magazine cover." I said, my lip wobbling. What was the point of all of this?

Harry pressed his lips to my head, pulling me close against him. "Let me explain why everything you just said is wrong." He said, making me blush lightly. "Your messy curls are one of the sexiest things about you. When they're falling down your back and I get to play with them, or when you have them piled on your head in a bun because you're trying to work. Speaking of your head" Harry said, brushing his lips against my temple. "I love how intelligent you are. You're so opinionated, and you're not afraid to share those opinions with others. You're never afraid to speak your mind." His lips trailed down to my heated cheeks and I closed my eyes when he whispered in my ear. "You are so beautiful, I don't know how you don't see that. My beautiful, blue-eyed girl. Every time you smile at me, I forget everything I was thinking about. When you laugh, when you're making faces at me, when you're asleep, you will always be the most beautiful woman in the world to me, Annalisa." I sniffed, tears pooling in my eyes at his words. Harry's hands slid down from my arms to my hips, holding them firmly. "Not only is your face beautiful, but your body is unbelievable, baby. You have curves for days. The first time I saw you without any clothes on, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Hips that I can grab and squeeze, and I know you don't like your stomach or your thighs but baby, the happiest place on Earth for me is between those thighs, especially when they're wrapped around my head." Harry rasped, and I blushed deeply. "I know that I haven't been home as much as I should be, and I'm sorry baby. I've been a shit boyfriend and you deserve better than that. You deserve the world. Will you let me give it to you?" Harry said softly, and there was almost a pleading tone to his voice. I turned in his arms, looking up into his shining stormy eyes - so hopeful but yet so afraid of what I might say. "Harry...you know I love you, more than I've ever loved anyone. But I can't be in a relationship where I have no idea where my boyfriend is, what he's doing, or who he's with. There has to be some level of trust, and I don't know if I can trust you." I said, and Harry's face began to crumble at my words. "What can I do to help you learn to trust me again?" He said weakly. Looking at his desperate expression, the weight of our fight and everything he had said to me over the last few hours came crashing down on me, and tears spilled onto my cheeks again. "Just kiss me." I said, my voice breaking. Harry pulled me close, pressing his lips to mine for the first time in days. One of his hands cradled the back of my head, the other settled on the small of my back, while mine tangled in his hair. I didn't realize how much I had missed something as simple as a kiss, but we had been on edge and tiptoeing around each other for days now. We needed to feel each other, to know that neither of us were going anywhere. That we were okay. I pulled away, staring at Harry's hungry expression. "When's the last time I showed you just how beautiful you really are?" Harry said, and I nearly moaned at the wild look in his eyes. "It's been a few weeks..." I admitted, and Harry shook his head. "Will you let me show you?" Harry said and I bit my lip, nodding slowly. Harry grinned and leaned down to capture my lips once more in a bruising kiss, picking me up and setting me on the kitchen table, getting to work on my shirt. I knew that eventually, we would need to seriously discuss the things that we had said and done tonight, but I knew it wouldn't be tonight - we just needed to be together tonight. I let Harry drive all thought from my mind with the feeling of his lips on my neck, and decided that for tonight, I was going to forget that we had problems in our relationship that needed to be resolved, and just give in to the pleasure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you SO much for reading you guys!! I hope y'all loved this chapter. Please add LTF to your reading list/library so you can get updated whenever I post a new chapter! Also, MAJOR love to Lauren aka thumbnialls_ on twitter for being the one who gave me the push to publish this in the first place! I love you, Laur!! Hope you loved your cameo honey 
> 
> Translations:
> 
> Anna: Hi, Mom! Yes, Mom, Harry and I are both doing well...no, we're not married yet! Yes, Mom, I'm eating well. Harry is a wonderful cook, I'll let you know.  
> Mom: Anna? Is everything alright, darling?  
> Anna: Yes, Mom, I'm fine. Just a little stomach ache.  
> Mom: Okay, try some sparkling water. It always helped you as a child.  
> Anna: Okay, thank you! Look, I gotta go. Lots of laundry and everything. I love you!
> 
> Anna: Stupid fucking bastard!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Harry would never cheat. You know it, I know it, we all know it. His heart is too good for that. Thanks for reading, y'all! I hope you loved this chapter! Feel free to add

"Don't forget, my mom is in town this weekend and we're taking her to dinner tonight." I had said to Harry that morning as I got ready for work. He mumbled his agreement from where he lay still half asleep on our bed and I sighed, kissing him lightly before heading downstairs, grabbing my coffee and walking out the door. Tonight was incredibly important - it wasn’t the first time Harry had met my mother, but it was the first time she had seen him since I moved to England, away from her. I wanted her to see that we were happy living together and in a stable relationship. Things had been so rough between Harry and me for the past few weeks, and I needed this night to go well. The day flew by and when I arrived home at 5, I groaned - Harry's car was gone. He was supposed to be home and getting ready by now. I hurried inside, changing out of my work clothes and slipping into the outfit I had chosen for tonight; a dark blue short-sleeve dress, modest black heels, and classy jewelry. Plus, a small surprise for Harry underneath. I quickly did my hair and makeup and went downstairs, hoping to see Harry but only being greeted by an empty flat. I waited, and waited, and waited. It was nearly 7 now, and we had agreed to pick my mom up at 7:30. I checked my phone again and when I didn't see any texts or missed calls or voicemails, I took a deep breath and stood still for a moment, holding back the tears. I wasn't surprised, but that didn't mean that it didn't still hurt. He had really forgotten about dinner with my mom. 

I pulled myself together and grabbed my shawl and purse, walking out to my car and steeling myself for the comments my mother was going to make all night.

Sure enough, when I picked my mom up from her hotel, she noticed Harry's absence right away and was quick to comment on it. "The man seeing my daughter could not even be on time?" She said with a sharp tone and raised eyebrows. "Mamma, he's just running a little late. Work stuff. He'll be here soon." I said, sighing.

But he never showed. I sat through dinner all night, making awkward conversation with my mom, steering away from the topic of Harry every time she brought him up. Honestly, with the way I was talking, I probably made it sound like we had broken up. My mom kept glancing over at Harry's empty seat every few minutes, looking at the door of the restaurant and making a "hmph" sound. I sighed and took another sip of my wine, praying for this night to go quickly and for Harry to show up, no matter how late. These prayers went unanswered, though, and I found myself driving my mother home by myself, the two of us sitting in painful silence. She kissed my forehead and told me "Buonanotte, amore mia" before getting out of the car, and it was all I could do to keep a smile on my face.

Finally, I arrived home and trudged up the steps. I let the door close behind me, unshed tears falling down my face as soon as the lock clicked. The embarrassment washed over me again and again in waves, and all I could see in my mind was my mother's disapproving face. I slipped off my high heels and walked into the kitchen, emptying out the dishwasher. To everyone else tonight, we looked like a mother and daughter having a nice dinner. But for me, it was a tense, quiet dinner with my rightly judgmental mother and incredibly absent boyfriend.

The front door opened, and I heard Harry drop his keys in the dish beside the door. "Hey, Anna! You home?" I stayed silent as he walked into the kitchen, whistling at me. "Damn baby, you look good. Why are you all dressed up?" I turned to stare at him, my arms crossed. "How was your night?" Harry looked a little taken aback at my flat tone, but he shrugged. "It was good. Had some drinks with the lads, worked on new music. Why are you dressed up?" He asked again, setting his jacket on a barstool. "Think really hard, Harry. Why would I be dressed up on this particular night?" Harry was quiet for a moment, and then his eyes widened. "Oh, shit." I nodded, walking past him. "Oh, shit is right." I said, walking up the stairs and down the hallway to our room. "Hannah! Hannah, come on." Harry said, hurrying after me. "Anna, come on, cut me a break. This isn't my fault!" I stared at Harry incredulously as I took off my earrings and necklace. "Explain to me how this isn't your fault. You didn't show up to dinner with my mother, who by the way, still doesn't like you all that much. Who exactly should I blame here, the Pope?" Harry rolled his eyes, kicking off his shoes. "You're being overdramatic, Anna." He said, and furious tears filled my eyes. "Thank you for treating the things that matter to me like they're nothing, Harry. I really don't think that me being upset because you forgot about dinner with my mamma qualifies as me being overdramatic. If anything, I think I should be angrier because of the embarrassment you caused me all night, but I had a whole car ride to calm myself down." Harry was silent, so I kept talking. "My mamma has a very deep and very justified distrust of men. The only man she ever loved got her pregnant, and then she was deserted by him when she refused to have an abortion. She never dated or remarried. And because of that horrible experience, she is incredibly protective of her only child - her daughter. She never trusted any guy I dated, especially you. You have no idea how much placating I had to do when I told her I was moving here! She thought I was out of my damn mind! She kept telling me you couldn't be trusted because of your sketchy love life and your career, and that you were going to break my heart. It was practically a Herculean effort on my part to convince her that you're loving and caring and trustworthy, and she still calls all the time to check on me and make sure I'm alright over here. You didn't do yourself any favors by not showing up, Harry. If anything, you killed the tiny amount of trust that I've worked so damn hard to instill in her." I finished, tears leaking down my face again.

Harry moved forward, pulling me into his arms and kissing my forehead. "I'm sorry, love. I'm so sorry. I'm a bloody idiot, and you have every right to be mad at me. I should have remembered. This is completely on me." I sniffed, laying my head on his chest and wrapping my arms around him. "I accept your apology. Thank you, Haz." Harry kissed my head, looking down at me. "She's still in town until tomorrow night, yeah? I'll take you both out for tea tomorrow. How about that?" I nodded, smiling at him. "She'd like that." Harry kissed me, rubbing my back gently. "Good. I still need a shower, you feel like joining me?" I nodded, walking into the bathroom. I slipped my dress off and hung it on the back of the door, smirking inwardly when Harry let out a small groan at the sight of my lingerie and stockings. "This was going to be your reward if you had made it through dinner with my mother." I said, looking at him in the mirror as I shook my hair out of its braided bun. Harry looked me up and down blatantly, drinking in the sight of the black and white lace on my olive skin. "I guess I'll use it another night." I shrugged and sat on the counter, reaching down to unhook and peel off the first stocking. Harry's hands shot forward, stopping my actions. "Let me." He said in a rough voice, one that sent a jolt of electricity down my spine.

I nodded and Harry kneeled down, sliding each stocking off carefully and pressing his lips to each newly exposed patch of skin. "There is something I wanted to talk to you about." He murmured, kissing his way back up my legs. Fear shot through me at his words, but I swallowed it down and made a joke instead. "If you thought that kissing me everywhere was gonna get me to budge on the whole no-cat-thing, you're wrong, mister." I heard Harry grumble and I laughed, looking down at him. "Is that seriously what you wanted to talk about?" Harry grinned and shook his head, standing up and threading his fingers through my hair, kissing me soundly. "You'll budge on the cat one day. But no, love. I wanted to ask you to come to our movie premiere with me." I stared at him for a moment, blinking. "Wait, like on the red carpet? As in your" "My date." He said, looking at me seriously. I bit my lip, a wave of nervousness washing over me. "You're sure about this? You're ready to go public?" Harry stroked my cheek with his thumbs, nodding. "I'm not afraid of what people might say. I love you and I'm proud to be with you. If that's not enough for people, they can piss off." I giggled and leaned up to kiss him, smiling. "I guess I'd better go dress shopping." I murmured, smiling happily. "Wait, so that's a" "Yes, you idiot." I said, rolling my eyes and laughing. We kissed again and Harry wrapped his arms around me, his hands sliding across my back and making me shiver. “You’re far too dressed for my liking, mister.” I murmured, sliding my hands down his chest and smirking when he groaned at my sultry tone. He quickly shed his shirt, and I grabbed at his belt buckle, struggling to undo it through my haze of lust. "Fuck this, I need a taste." Harry rasped, pushing my hands away and getting down on his knees, pulling my hips forward and making me gasp. Ever since our fight a few weeks earlier, Harry had really been making an effort to be a better boyfriend. He had been spending more time at home with me, taking me out more often, and was being a lot more affectionate. Not to mention, our sex life had improved phenomenally. He could barely keep his hands off of me. "These have got to go." Harry grumbled, hooking his fingers in my tiny panties and yanking them down my hips quickly. He parted my legs and licked his lips, running his nose up my slit and inhaling deeply, making me nearly lose my breath. He took a long lick up my slit, tonguing my clit ferociously as my fingers flew into his hair. "Holy fuck! Harry!" I moaned, getting even wetter when I heard him growl. Harry began to eat me out vigorously, and it wasn't long before my legs were trembling against the countertop. "Harry, baby, I'm so close!" I whined, and Harry pulled away from me. "Hold it, baby, fight it back. I wanna try something." I whimpered but obeyed, taking a few deep breaths to calm myself and push away my impending orgasm. Once I was still and quiet, Harry started up again, sucking on my clit but adding his fingers to the mix this time, shoving in two and surprising me. "Ahh! Baby, yes!" I cried, arching my back at the intrusion. Harry looked up at me with his dark eyes, fingering me roughly and hooking his fingers every time he pulled them out. I unhooked my bra and threw it somewhere, pulling at my breasts, desperate for more stimulation. I felt my orgasm approaching again, but much faster this time, and stronger. I gripped the edge of the counter with one hand and held Harry's head against me with the other, moans tumbling out of my mouth left and right. "Please don't stop, Harry! I'm right there! I'm gonna cum!" I begged, and Harry began tonguing my clit like his life depended on it. Almost instantly, I was hit with the strongest orgasm of my entire life, my vision going black around the edges. Warmth spread all over my body and I screamed Harry's name, shaking under him as he worked me through my high. When I finally came back around, I saw Harry grinning up at me, his face and his chest wet. "Did I just.." I said, out of breath. "You fucking squirted." Harry said, standing up and looking over my body, his eyes hungrier than ever. "You really need a shower now." I said, and Harry grinned, shedding his jeans and boxers and picking me up, walking us into the shower. "So do you, dirty girl."

\-----

I stared at the open door of the limo, biting my lip. The flashing lights and screaming fans intimidated the hell out of me, but for Harry, I'd happily stand in front of them and smile. I checked my makeup one last time in the window reflection and slid out of the car, thanking the security guard that held my hand to steady me. Tonight was the premiere of the boys' concert film, This Is Us, and the night that Harry and I had planned to go fully public with our relationship. There had been speculation over the course of our relationship that we were dating, and we had decided to finally put the rumors to rest tonight and confirm them all. Harry’s management had finally gotten on board with everything, and we had the boys’ full support as well. The crowd hushed for a moment and I heard a cry of "No!" from a group of fans, making me sigh and take a moment to regain my composure. I walked confidently down the red carpet, brushing my waves over my shoulder and giggling a little when Harry bit his lip at the sight of me. He reached out for me and I moved towards him, the pull almost magnetic. His arm slid around my waist and mine rested on his chest, and I smiled brightly at him. "I know I've said it already tonight, but you look so beautiful, baby." He murmured, kissing my cheek. He had already seen my dress hanging in the closet today, a black floor-length high-neck halter dress that cut away completely in the back in a diamond shape, but I had shooed him out of the room when it was time for me to get ready. His reaction when he saw me in the kitchen, though, was absolutely priceless. "Thanks, Haz. You don't look so bad yourself." I said, smiling and blushing a little under his gaze.

We smiled some more for the cameras before the boys began to give some interviews to the reporters. I hung back a bit, talking to Sophia and gushing over her dress until I heard someone yell my name. I looked up and saw a reporter gesturing for me to come over and I looked at Sophia, swallowing before walking over, smiling. "Hi!" I said, and the reporter grinned at me, his smile bordering on creepy. "You're Harry's new fling, yeah?" I raised my eyebrows at his choice of words, my tone becoming a little icier. "I'm his girlfriend, yes." The reporter smirked and nodded, and I looked at his microphone and cameraman, trying to find some kind of logo. "I'm sorry, who are you with?" I said, attempting to be as polite as I could. "Oh, that's not important. Not as important as who Harry's with, especially after dark, if you catch my drift." I felt the air leave my lungs and I shook my head, trying to keep my face firm. "I don't like what you're implying, buddy. Harry is a good man. He..." I saw Harry watching me out of the corner of my eye and I bit my lip, silently pleading him to rescue me. Harry left the interview that he and the boys were doing and came to me immediately, slipping his arm around my waist and pulling me to his side. "They want us to head inside, love." I sighed and smiled at him, waving absentmindedly at the sleazy reporter before walking down the red carpet with my man.

When we entered the theater I stopped for a second, looking at Harry. "Anna?" Harry said, turning to look at me in confusion. Every rational bone in my body knew that the reporter was lying. But there was a part of my heart I kept closely guarded because that part remembered everyone who had cheated, lied, and left. I wanted to give Harry the benefit of the doubt but there was a deeply rooted instinct in me to focus on my own survival that refused to let him off so easily. The room suddenly felt smaller and it became harder to breathe as I considered the possibility that Harry might actually be cheating on me. My paranoid brain started going into overdrive, gathering every obscure fact it could think of and presenting them to my rational brain - the late nights spent on the album, texting all the time, shrugging off questions about where he had gone with the boys and how his night had been; it all began to pile up, and I felt my world begin to crash down around me. He had given me excuses for every reason that I had to doubt his faithfulness to me, but now those excuses were crumbling before me. We had been working so hard on trusting each other, but that reporter had started to chip away at the little trust that Harry had been able to regain from me. I closed my eyes, my hands clenching into fists as I tried to calm myself down. "Anna." I came back to reality when Harry placed his hands on my face, holding it gently. "Hey, where'd you go, baby?" He said, trying to joke until he saw me open my eyes, full of tears that I didn't want to shed. "Babe, what did that reporter say to you?" Harry asked with concern. I looked around before dragging him down a hallway into a deserted office-type room. I locked the door behind us and leaned against it, crossing my arms over my chest. "Are you cheating on me?" I said bluntly. Harry stared at me, his mouth hanging open. "Anna, I" "Just answer the question, Harry! Are you cheating on me?" I repeated and my voice broke. Harry walked forward, pulling me into his arms. "Absolutely not. Why are you asking me this? We've been through this already, Anna." He said, brushing my hair away from my face. I sighed and laid my head on his chest, trying to calm down. "The reporter asked if I was really Harry Styles' new fling. And he said that I have no idea who you're with after dark." I said, my voice shaking again. Harry chuckled, kissing the top of my head. "But you do know, baby." I looked up at him, eyebrows raised. "I'm with you. I come home to you every single night, even if it's a bit late and I wake up next to you every day, and I fucking love it. I couldn't find anything better even if I tried because you are everything I will ever want and need. You're not my new fling. You're the woman I love." I leaned up and kissed him deeply, my hands twisting into his styled hair. "You're the most wonderful man I've ever met in my life." I said quietly. "Please forgive me for believing that reporter, it's just...you know everything that's happened to me..." Harry kissed me gently, cutting me off. "You have nothing to apologize for, Anna. I know this is new for you, and it's scary. This is all new for me as well. But I'm here and I'm not leaving, okay?" I smiled and nodded, hugging him tightly. "I love you, Harry."


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you so much for reading, my lovelies! Feel free to leave some kudos/feedback below - I read/respond to all of it! Love y'all! - H xx

It was hard to believe an entire year had passed since I moved to London. I had experienced so much since I decided to turn my world upside down and cross an ocean to live with my love. I had been offered a full-time position at Westminster after the positive feedback from staff, students, and parents, my mother had moved back home to Italy in order to be closer to her parents, even though I had a small inkling it was to be closer to me, and Harry and I were stronger than ever. After we went public with our relationship, there was no shortage of rumors and online hate. We didn't listen, though. If anything, it made us grow closer. When the hate began to get more frequent and sometimes borderline unbearable, we would spend more time together. It wasn't an easy task since Harry left with the boys on tour a few months after I moved in, but we made it work. That's what you do when you're in love. It's never easy, but if the relationship means something to you, you'll work at it. Even now, after another album release and an upcoming tour, we were just as dedicated as we were a year ago if not more, to keep our love strong.

We were notoriously private about our relationship, but we still made our love public every now and then, like today. "Love, this may actually be the dumbest thing we've ever done." Harry said, sitting back on Ellie's couch. I smacked his chest lightly, laughing. "Come on, it's for Ellie. Josh won't do it with her, and we're apparently the cutest couple she knows." Harry pulled me into him and grinned, leaning his forehead against mine. "We are pretty fucking cute." He said, kissing me softly. I giggled and placed my hand on his shoulder, kissing him back before pulling away as Ellie came in. "Good god, keep your hands to yourselves for two seconds." She gagged, laughing as she set up her camera. Ellie had started her own YouTube channel, and it had actually gained a lot of popularity. Josh was a bit camera-shy and didn't always want to do videos with her. So, when "The Boyfriend Tag" video requests started coming in, Ellie asked Harry and me to be her subjects.

Ellie pressed a button on her remote and a little red light appeared on the camera. "Hi, guys! It's Ellie. Today, we're doing The Boyfriend Tag, as so many of you have requested. Josh is being a hermit and won't do it with me, so I've enlisted the stunning Anna and sort of good looking Harry help me out." I laughed at Harry's irritated expression and kissed his cheek. "You're hot, don't worry." Ellie rolled her eyes, smiling. "Here's how it works, kids. Obviously, I'm not asking you the questions that they asked Josh and me, so I made a game out of it. You both get a whiteboard, and I'll ask one of you a question about the other. So, Anna, I'll ask Harry a question about you. You write the correct answer on your whiteboard, and he writes his guess on his. If he's right, he'll get a point. If he's wrong, he doesn't. Same goes for you, Anna. At the end of the game, the winner gets a prize that I've already arranged."

"OKAY! First question, Anna. What is the one food Harry can never get tired of eating?" I wrote down my answer quickly and flashed my whiteboard, showing "APPLES" written in large letters. Ellie looked at Harry and he grinned, turning his to reveal the same. "Yes!" I laughed, erasing my board. "Your turn, bud!" Harry groaned and looked at Ellie. "Next question, please?" Ellie laughed and scrolled down her phone. "Where is Anna from?" Harry scribbled quickly and flashed his board and I laughed loudly. "BORN/RAISED: Sicily, Italy...ALSO: North Carolina, USA" Harry looked at my board and snickered, as I had just written "Italy/USA". "Do I get extra points for being detailed?" Harry said hopefully. Ellie shook her head, and I giggled at Harry's puppy dog expression.

We went back and forth and soon it was the very last question, the tiebreaker. If I got it wrong, he would win, which I definitely didn't want. I've always been a little competitive. "Anna. Can Harry see the two of you getting married and being old and wrinkly together one day?" I looked at Harry and bit my lip, writing my answer down and waiting for him turn his board. My heart was hammering in the chest since we never really talked about this. Marriage is permanent, steady, and solid. And Harry lives a very mobile, unsteady lifestyle. I turned my board to show my answer. "Yes." Harry turned his board and I put my hand over my mouth. "Yes." I looked at him and my heart swelled when I saw the huge grin on his face.

"If I'm being honest, I lost track of the points." Ellie said, interrupting us and making us both laugh. "I'm going to call Anna the winner since she got most of them correct, I think." Ellie laughed and I cheered, while Harry groaned. Ellie grabbed a little bag and I laughed hysterically when she pulled a Participation Award certificate out of it and scribbled Harry's name on it, handing it to him. "Gee, thanks." Harry said sarcastically, but with a smile. Ellie pulled out a tiny plastic gold medal and I squealed, placing it around my neck happily. "This is literally the first time I've won anything!" I laughed, smiling at Harry, who was smiling at me like I was the greatest thing he'd ever seen.

\-----

All too soon, it was the winter holidays. Today, we were spending the day out with Liam, Sophia, and Niall to celebrate the new year. I was leaving lunch with the boys a little early since I had a lot of end-of-term reports to finish before Monday, and I needed to run to the pharmacy and refill my birth control pills. Even with the biting cold, I wasn't surprised to see a bunch of girls waiting outside to get a glimpse of the boys. What I didn't expect though, was when I walked outside and some of them started shouting very rude and threatening things at me. I had dealt with the unrelenting hate for months, but this time, something just snapped. "Stop it!" I yelled at them. Every single one of them fell silent. I've always been the sweet and friendly girlfriend; no one had ever seen this side of me before, save for a few unlucky souls back home. "Why are you people so mean to me? What did I ever do to you?" The girls stayed silent, not daring to say a word. "Exactly! Nothing! I fell in love with a man, and you send me death threats for it! You call me a slut, a whore, a bitch, a homewrecker, and man stealer for no reason at all!" I saw Harry and the boys watching me inside the restaurant out of the corner of my eye, but I kept going. "If you really cared about Harry, you would leave us alone. Harry says I'm the best thing that's ever happened to him. Let us be happy, for fuck's sake." I say, my voice shaking. I heard the door of the restaurant open and looked up, my heart beating faster when I saw Liam, Sophia, and Harry walking out. Harry walked right up to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, leading me away from the girls. "Don't ever speak to her like that again!" Harry yelled over his shoulder, loading all four of us into his Range Rover. I stared at him in shock, stunned at his outburst. I had never been a quiet person, but Harry was one of the most reserved people I'd ever met. I'd never seen him look this furious, and on some level, it scared me too. Some of the girls realized when Harry spoke that he was truly angry at them. I think they knew that this was going to be viral in hours, and because Harry took my side, the fans would support me.

Sure enough, hours later when I was laying on our couch in sweats, my phone started buzzing. "Look online xxx" was the text I saw from Sophia. I opened up Twitter and was bombarded with thousands of tweets. There were a few calling me a spoiled brat and not good enough for Harry, but the majority of them were praising me for finally "roasting those bitches". I laughed at the "DRAG THEM MOM" and "my fucking queen" comments. I started tapping out a tweet, smiling. "I love all of you, but I love Harry too. You don't like us, soz :)" I posted it and got up, walking through the house to the music room. I saw Harry sitting on the piano bench and walked up behind him, playing with his hair. "You're a champ. You know that, right?" Harry said softly, writing in a notebook that was propped up on the music stand. I giggled and rubbed his scalp, smirking when he groaned happily. "I'm just proud of you for taking it as long as you did. If you hadn't done something soon, I would have." He murmured, turning around so I was standing between his legs. Harry rested his hands on my hips, smiling up at me. "It comes with the territory, baby. I knew what I was getting myself into when I decided to be with you. I didn't choose to fall in love, but I did choose to deal with all this. And it's so worth it because I get to call you mine. Those bitches don't." Harry laughed and pulled me closer so my body was pressed against his. "Hmm, I'm yours?" I raised my eyebrows, my hands on his shoulders. "You better be mine, Styles, or I've been wasting a shit ton of time." Harry grinned, running his hands up and down my sides softly. "I'm completely yours, Anna." I smiled and straddled him on the bench, my hands going right back to his hair. "And I'm yours, forever, Harry." I said softly. "Goddamn right you are." Harry growled, sucking on my neck playfully. I giggled and moaned softly, tugging on his hair slightly.

"Were you serious in Ellie's video?" I said softly as Harry placed kisses on my neck and shoulder. "That you really do want to marry me one day?" I pulled away, looking at Harry nervously. I always tried to avoid the subject of the future, since Harry's career didn't allow for anything incredibly permanent at the moment, but the question had been nagging at me for weeks. "I'll be honest love; Mum keeps calling me asking if I've found a ring yet, if I've bought the ring, and if you said yes. She's certain beyond a doubt that you're going to be her daughter in law." Harry laughed, playing with the ends of my hair. I smiled a little, biting my lip. Harry could sense my discomfort and unease at his response, and he kissed my forehead gently, holding me close. "You know what I meant, Anna. One day, I'll make you mine. All mine, forever. You and I will say I do, and we'll live happily ever after - just like in those books that you have stashed in the closet." I flushed a deep pink knowing that he had found my collection of fairy tales. "Don't be embarrassed, it's cute. No one ever really grows out of fairy tales." He murmured, smiling at me.

"I started collecting them when I was little. The idea of a perfect happy ending was so lovely to me. I never saw my mother in a relationship, so I modeled my idea of love after the fairy tales I read and created this perfect one in my head, where I find a handsome prince and live happily ever after with him as a princess. I just never in my wildest dreams thought I would ever find him." I said quietly, a blush coloring my cheeks. Harry leaned up and pressed his lips softly to mine and I responded immediately, melding myself against him. "You're not just a princess. You're my princess. I swear, I'm going to give you the happily ever after you deserve, Anna." Harry said in a quiet, but firm voice. I ran my hands through his hair, kissing him again. "I love you so much." I murmured, sucking on his lower lip. Harry held onto my waist tightly, kissing me deeply. "You're my world." Harry said and I sighed and let myself melt into him, feeling so safe and loved. "Harry..." I murmured as he started to plant soft kisses on my neck. He made a noise of acknowledgment and looked up at me. "Make love to me." I said in a quiet voice, playing with the collar of his t-shirt. Harry grinned and stood up, keeping my legs wrapped around his waist as he carried us to our bedroom. "As you wish, Princess."

He didn't miss a single spot. All night, Harry held me closer than he ever had, making sure I knew how much he loved me. He knew every single inch of my skin, tracing every scar and kissing every freckle, making me writhe against him over and over. When we weren't furiously relearning each other's bodies, we talked about anything and everything. Moments like these were so rare for us lately, but they reminded me why I fell in love with this man. The way he played with my hair as I talked about my grandparents' house in Sicily and the long summers I spent there, even after I came to America, and the smile that spread across his face when he talked about his cousins and sister and step-siblings made me love him more and more with each passing minute. Nights like these were the ones that convinced me that I was with my soulmate - I knew the man I was going to marry was lying right beside me.

I woke up snuggled against his chest, the blue-gray light filtering in through the windows telling me how early it was. I looked up and smiled when I saw his peaceful face, sleeping soundly. I touched his cheek gently, sighing when I saw the bags under his eyes. He works so hard all the time, never settling for anything less than perfection. It was one of the things I loved about him, but I wished that he would take it easy every now and then. I placed a soft kiss on his slightly parted lips before slipping out of bed, pulling on a pair of panties and one of his t-shirts before padding downstairs quietly. I threw my hair into a bun and turned on the coffee maker, yawning as I started to make breakfast. Today was going to be our day, with no interruptions from family or friends, and especially none from work.

I was turning the pancakes over, thinking vaguely about how I still needed to go refill my birth control pills and buy laundry detergent when I felt a pair of warm arms slip around my waist, and slightly chapped lips brushing my neck. "If this is what I get to wake up to every morning, I'll die a happy man." Harry mumbled in his gravelly morning voice, kissing my head. I giggled and turned in his arms, kissing his chin, biting my lip at the sight of him in nothing but his gray sweatpants. "Y'know, I remember this happening before. When you stayed at my house that first night during Ellie and Josh's wedding week. And we were about to do something, but Ellie interrupted us." I said, smiling and recalling the bar crawl we had made when the boys came to stay for Ellie's big day, which resulted in everyone sleeping at my house and Harry cornering me in the kitchen the following morning. "Hmm, whatever could it have been?" Harry chuckled, his large hands resting on my hip and the small of my back. "I think it was something like this." I said, standing on my tiptoes, moving my face towards his. Harry leaned down and before he could kiss me I stuck a piece of pancake in-between his lips, giggling. Harry chewed slowly and licked his lips, grinning. "Yeah, it was something like that. And then this almost happened." Harry said, pressing his lips to mine, making me smile and sigh.

"We're not working today. No managers, no lessons plans, no nosy bandmates or coworkers or family members. Today is for us." I said, running my hands across his bare chest. Harry smiled and nodded, resting his hands on my hips. "That sounds perfect, love. Maybe we should start the day and go out for some food since ours looks a little...dark." I turned around and cursed loudly at the now dark brown, almost black, crispy pancakes. Harry laughed as I scraped them into the trash and I shot him a dirty look. "I blame you and your addiction to kissing me." I said, setting the pan in the sink and walking past him. I almost made it to the stairs but shrieked when I felt Harry turn me around and grab my thighs, picking me up easily. "You love me, you know it. And you love how I'm gonna fuck you on the bathroom counter before we go get breakfast." I bit my lip and smiled at his words, nodding and kissing his neck as he carried me up the stairs.


	12. Chapter 12

"Positive...positive...positive...positive...positive, shit!" 

I threw the 5 little sticks into the kitchen garbage, my mind racing and my heart pounding. I kept telling myself that they were wrong, but there was a 99% accuracy rate, and there was no way all 5 could be wrong. I had been ignoring the symptoms for weeks, almost willing them to go away, but after multiple missed periods, I couldn't deny it anymore. I was pregnant. I was pregnant with my boyfriend's child. Not just any boyfriend - my international pop star boyfriend. I sunk down onto the kitchen floor, shakily pulling out my phone and dialing. "Soph? I need you to come over. Please tell me you're not busy. This is really important." I heard keys jingling and a door slamming in the background on her end. "I'm on my way over. Is everything okay?" Sophia asked, her voice incredibly concerned. "I'll tell you when you get here. Just please, hurry!"

"Fuck." Sophia murmured, looking at the tests and then at me. "That's how this happened, yes." I said, trying to smile. Sophia laughed and tossed the tests back into the bin, putting her arm around me and hugging me as we sat on the cold floor. "Well, the first and most obvious question: are you keeping it?" I nodded, wrapping my arms around my stomach. "This is my baby. I could never...I would never...no." I said firmly. Sophia nodded, rubbing my back. "Alright, that's out of the way. Are you feeling okay? Have you rang the doctor yet?" I shook my head, looking at the floor. "I just found out today. Oh god, Harry is gonna leave me. There's no way he's going to want a child! I'm going to be on my own! Sophia, I don't want this baby to grow up like I did!" I sobbed, looking at my best friend with tear-filled eyes. Sophia pulled me against her, shushing me. "Harry is NOT going to leave you. If he even raises his bloody voice to you, I'll beat him into the ground, and then let his family have a go at him. You're going to be fine. Anyway, whenever the boys are over at our place, Harry keeps talking about starting a family with you. He always says how cute you are with Lux and your students, and what an amazing mum you would be."

My spirits perked up a bit at this, but I didn't let it show. "Talking and imagining is one thing. Actually starting a family is another." Sophia nodded in agreement, but her face remained hopeful. "Harry is a good man, Anna. He isn't the type to dine and dash, as the saying goes." I laughed loudly, gagging a little. "Please, do not refer to my sex life like that!" I giggled, smiling at her. I looked down at my stomach, placing my hand on it gently. "I'm going to be a mom." I said softly, the reality that my child was growing inside of me finally setting in. "You're going to be great, Anna. I know it." Sophia said comfortingly. I sighed and laid my head on her shoulder, trying to relax. "I hope you're right."

A few days later, I held Sophia's hand as I sat on the examination table, a sheet draped across my lap. I was in for my confirmation ultrasound, and I was more than nervous. "Breathe, Anna. And please don't break my hand." Sophia said reassuringly, laughing a little. I loosened my grip on her hand, trying to laugh. Before I could say anything, there was a knock on the door and an older woman walked in, smiling at us. "Annalisa Gagliano?" I nodded and she set my file down on the computer tower, washing her hands. "I'm Doctor Richards, I'll be doing your ultrasound today. First off, have you taken a pregnancy test already?" I nodded and heard Sophia snicker. "Five, actually. All of them were positive." Doctor Richards chuckled and looked at my file, smiling. "And your urine sample came back positive as well. Is it appropriate to say congratulations?" I nodded, grinning. "Yes, it is. I'm keeping the baby." Doctor Richards nodded and dimmed the lights a little, turning on the machine and pulling out a long tube with a bulb on the end. "Alright, so here is how the ultrasound works. Since this is just to officially confirm your pregnancy, we are only doing a vaginal ultrasound. How that works, is I'm going to put this wand in a plastic covering" She said, sliding a plastic bag over the wand and greasing it with some kind of gel. "And it's going to be lubricated. All you'll feel is a little unfamiliar pressure, and it will be a little cold, but we'll get to see your little one!" I held Sophia's hand a little tighter, nodding. Doctor Richards started to perform the ultrasound and I squirmed in discomfort for a second, before a photo appeared on the screen and I gasped, my eyes filling with tears. There it was. My baby. I could see the outline of its body clearly, and I swear I could see its nose. It was only a tiny little bean of a person, but it was still my baby.

I looked over at Sophia, who had tears running down her face as well. "Oh my God, you're pregnant Anna." She said tearfully, hugging me. "From the size of the fetus, you're about 14 weeks along, and everything looks perfectly fine. Your first trimester just ended." The doctor said, printing out a few pictures for my file and carefully removing the wand from me.

Sophia and I left the doctor's office quickly, hurrying back home to avoid any cameras that were hiding on the streets. I brewed us both some tea once we were inside, and Sophia shooed me towards the couch, commenting on how I should be relaxing. "I'm gonna be an aunt! Oh, Anna, this is so exciting! What do you think it is, boy or girl?" Sophia asked, plopping down on the couch next to me. "Honestly, I've got a boy vibe. I don't care either way, but I have a feeling it's a boy. I'm definitely finding out the gender though." I laughed, leaning back against the cushions and sipping my tea. "I can't believe the boys leave for tour next week. It doesn't seem real. I swear the album just came out two weeks ago, not two months." Sophia murmured, drinking her tea too. I stared at her for a second, not fully comprehending what she had said, and then it hit me. "Sophia, this tour is eight months long. Oh my fucking god, it's eight months long!" Tears filled my eyes as I set down my tea, looking back at her. Sophia looked confused for a moment, and then the same look of realization hit her as well. "Oh shit." Sophia said quietly and I covered my face with my hands, sobbing. "He's gonna miss everything! He's gonna miss the damn birth! Sophia, I'm doing this alone!" I cried as Sophia wrapped her arms around me. "No sweetie, it's gonna be okay. He wouldn't miss the birth of his first child for anything in the world. And he's gonna be there for you through it all. I know it."

I knew Sophia's words were meant to comfort me, but my raging hormones wouldn't let me have any kind of reassurance - the tears were unrelenting. I heard the front door unlock and I panicked slightly, knowing by the sound of keys in the dish that it was Harry. I wiped hurriedly at my face, trying to lean back and relax. Sophia hugged me quickly and got up, meeting Harry halfway to the door. "Hey, Soph! What are you doing here?" Harry said warmly, and I tried to even out my breathing. "I just felt like spending some time with my favorite lady! Anyway, I've got to run Haz, tell Anna I said goodbye, yeah?" She said, and I heard the front door open and shut a few minutes later. I heard Harry walk in, and at the sight of his smiling face, more tears filled my eyes. Harry immediately looked worried and he sat next to me, pulling me into his arms. "Anna, what's wrong?" He asked and I sniffed, covering my face, trying to force the tears away. Harry pulled my hands from my face, looking at me seriously. "Princess, you can tell me anything. You know that." I took a deep breath, looking at him, the familiar feeling of safety sweeping over me. I searched his eyes, and I knew that this wasn't how I wanted to tell Harry that he was going to be a father. I couldn't put it off forever but this wasn't the moment. It needed to be special. "I'm just PMS-ing, it's alright. We saw some kittens up for adoption and I just started thinking about how they need homes and it set me off." I said, trying to laugh. Harry grinned, kissing my forehead. "You have such a good heart. But does this mean you're ready for a cat?" He asked hopefully. I laughed for real this time, holding his face and kissing him soundly. "We'll talk about it."

The next morning as I was standing in the shower, I looked down at my belly for a moment, examining it carefully. It was barely rounder - if you only glanced at it, you would have just thought that I was bloated or that I had eaten a big lunch. But to me, I could tell that it was definitely a bit tauter. "I wonder if you can hear me yet." I whispered, placing a hand on my abdomen. I couldn't explain it, but as I stood there in the warm water, holding my still-small stomach almost lovingly, a feeling of maternal protectiveness came over me and I sniffed, my eyes welling up as I became overcome with emotion. "You're going to be the most loved baby in the entire world, no matter if it's just me or both your parents. You're already my world, little bean." I said, rubbing small circles against my skin. "I'll always protect you, my darling. That's a promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks for reading, my lovelies! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, make sure to bookmark it if you did! Feel free to leave some kudos/feedback below, I read/respond to them all! Love y'all! - H xx


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before we start, a small TW: abortion
> 
> I know I mention abortion a lot in this story and I do apologize if it's a trigger for anyone. I just want to make it clear that I am not bashing abortions - I am completely supportive of a woman's right to choose what to do with her own body.

I locked the door to my classroom, waving goodbye to a few colleagues before stepping out into the quiet twilight. Today was the last day Harry and I had together before the boys flew to Australia to kick off their 8-month long world tour. Harry had promised that we would spend the entire night together, just the two of us before he had to leave. I had finally finished cleaning up my classroom and made it back to our flat. Tonight, I was finally going to tell him that I was pregnant; that we were going to be parents. I was scared out of my mind, but also excited. A small part of me truly believed that Harry would be happy about this, but there was that awful nagging voice that told me he would leave me in the dirt to raise this child all on my own. I pushed that voice down, though, whenever I heard it. I wanted to believe otherwise. When I opened the door, I was met with a dark room, empty and cold, and a thousand panicked thoughts ran through my mind, making me. Did he figure it out? Did I forget to throw away the test box and he found it? Did he see my search history for "baby names"? From the kitchen, I could hear a song playing, and a smile spread across my face as I walked towards it. “This” by Ed Sheeran was drifting from a set of speakers on the table, and in front of it sat one candle, it's flickering flame casting a glow across the room. "Romantic idiot..." I murmured, smiling. Beside the candle was a note, and I recognized Harry's messy handwriting.

"Hi, love. I hope you had a good day at work. I've got a surprise for you, but I wanted to make this special, so you're going to have to find me to see what I have in store for you tonight. I've hidden pieces of paper around the city for you, each one giving you directions to the next note. You'll find me at the last one. I love you, Princess. P.S. Look at the back of this."

I turned the paper over excitedly and stared at the clue for a moment, blinking confusedly. "Come on in, baby, it's cold outside." I read aloud. I stared at the words for a few moments, trying to figure out what in the world Harry was talking about. An idea came to mind, and I grabbed my coat, slipping it back on and walking back out of the flat. "It's a long shot," I said to myself. "But it's worth a try."

After a short walk, I stopped in front of the Starbucks that Harry and I liked to go to some mornings. The sun had completely set and the temperature had fallen drastically when I left the house, so the warm blast of air and the strong smell of coffee beans was a lovely welcome. I wandered up to the counter, smiling at the barista. "Hi, did a guy with curly hair leave anything for someone here; like a note or something?" The barista blinked. "Are you Anna?" I stared at him, taken aback. "Uh, yes, yes I am." He smiled and handed me a cup and a small envelope. "Someone named Harry left it for you. He already paid. Have a nice day ma'am." I thanked him and walked towards the exit, sipping from the cup. Hot chocolate with extra whip cream and cinnamon; Harry knew me so well. I tore open the envelope and pulled out another note, reading it over quickly.

"It's time for us to go on our W-A-L-K."

I grinned and hailed a taxi, jumping in and directing the driver to Hyde Park. Harry knew that 101 Dalmatians was one of my favorite Disney movies, and we would often go to the park and relax there, watching all of the dogs run around. When we pulled up to the park I passed some money over the seat to the driver and stepped out, looking around. The lamp posts had been turned on, and they cast a warm yellow glow over the cobblestone paths. I shivered a bit in the breeze and wrapped my arms around me. A pink heart taped to a lamp post caught my eye and I walked over, laughing when I read it.

"Follow the golden arrows."

Harry had used another reference to one of my favorite stories – Peter Pan. I love this man so much. I searched around the path and surrounding trees for a few moments before seeing golden paper arrows fastened to the benches and trees. Eventually, the arrows stopped at the large oak tree that Harry and I would sit under and relax together. When I saw what was sitting there, I squealed. A small tabby kitten was curled up under the tree, meowing softly. I picked it up quickly, cradling it to me and kissing its head gently, trying to warm it up. "Hi, there baby! Oh, you are so precious!" I cooed. I noticed that the kitten had a small piece of paper attached to its collar. I pulled it out and read it.

"Hi, Anna! My name is Sage. A tall man came to the shelter today because he knows you care so much about rescue animals, and he wants me to keep you company while he's away. I hope you like me! Meow!"

I kissed Sage's head, giggling. "Harry is the sweetest guy ever, isn't he, baby!" I noticed there was some more writing, and when I read it, I almost dropped Sage.

"P.S. Harry told me to ask you if you wanted to marry him."

I looked around, my eyes wide. "Harry?" I called out. "Please tell me you're here!" Harry stepped out from behind the tree, grinning. "Hey, beautiful." I walked over and smiled at him, gesturing to the small kitten in my arms. "Is she for real? Is she" "Yours. I knew you'd cave on getting a cat once you saw her." He said, giving me that crooked smile of his. I laughed and kissed him, sighing happily. "I love you so much, Harry. You are so sweet." Harry grinned and held me tightly, smirking. "I know." I rolled my eyes and smacked his shoulder, kissing him again. I looked down at Sage and kissed her head, feeling my heart race again when her collar flashed in the moonlight. "Harry, on her collar...there was something there. Were you...are you?"

Harry smiled at me, grabbing my free hand in his and taking a deep breath before speaking. "You told me when we first started dating that you loved Disney movies, especially the ones with princesses. You made me watch Tangled with you nearly a million times because it's your favorite and I did because I knew it would make you happy. At the end of the movie Flynn says to Rapunzel, 'You were my new dream.' Performing was my dream, but from the minute I met you, I knew that I had a new dream. I know that we'll never have a normal relationship, but we're not a normal couple. I can't see myself with anyone but you, baby. You make me a better person, and I never want to know a day without you." Harry got down on one knee, holding my left hand in his, and the tears I had been holding back finally started to fall. He reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a small box. When he opened it, my mouth dropped open and I gasped. Inside was a small, simple, but elegant silver ring with a single oval-shaped diamond set in it and a halo of smaller diamonds surrounding it. "Annalisa Elisabetta Gagliano, vuoi sposarmi?" I bit my lip and nodded, smiling and crying at the same time. "Si! Yes, Harry, yes!" Harry jumped up and pulled me against him, kissing me and holding me to him tightly. When we broke apart, I felt him slip the ring onto my finger and I almost lost it. "Mrs. Styles." Harry said, kissing me again. I giggled and kissed him back, smiling at the sound of my new name. "And the little Styles." I said, biting my lip. Harry looked at me, confused. "What?" I placed Sage on the ground between my feet and unbuttoned my coat, shivering as the cold night air met my body. I grabbed Harry's hands and held them against my stomach, and placed my hands on his face, looking into his eyes.

"This is why I was crying when you came home last week. This is why I wanted you to come home earlier than we planned tonight."

Harry looked at me, his eyes wide. "You're?" "Yes." "We're?" "Yes." "How long?" "Three and a half months, almost four." He was silent for a moment after that, and a feeling of dread rose inside of me, filling up in my gut. I was so scared of Harry getting angry with me because this was happening at the height of his career. I remembered the fear and sadness I had seen on my mother's face when she told me about my father's anger almost 24 years ago. He had demanded my mother to get rid of me – destroy me before I even had a chance at life. I had been praying ever since I got my results that Harry wouldn't do the same.

"I can't believe it!" Harry said, staring at me, looking shocked. I backed away and wrapped my arms around myself, tears filling my eyes. I guess I was right. Harry wasn't going to be supportive of this. He really didn't want to be a father. "I'm sorry, Harry. I'll get my stuff and be out of the flat soon. I'm so sorry." I turned to walk away when Harry grabbed me and pulled me back to him. I shrieked and tears fell down my face. "I'm sorry, Harry! Please don't hurt me!" Harry stared at me, confused. "What? Why would I hurt you?" I sniffed, looking up at him. "Aren't you mad?" He laughed. "Well, yeah, I'm mad! I'm mad that you didn't tell me as soon as you thought something was up!" I looked up at him, and I saw that he wasn't going to hurt me. "So, you're happy about this?" I said timidly. He nodded enthusiastically. "I'm beyond happy, Princess! Christ, I'm gonna be a dad!" I laughed and kissed him, throwing my arms around his neck. He held me tight against him, kissing me hard. I sighed a little, and Harry bit down on my lip, growling. I broke away, blushing. "Harry, we're in the park!" He grinned and scooped up Sage in his arms, pulling me to the park entrance. "I guess we'd better get home then." I smiled coyly, biting my lip and whispering in his ear. "I think you'll like what else I'm wearing tonight."

The minute we were inside our flat, Harry set Sage down and pushed me up against the closed door, sucking hard on my neck. I twisted my fingers into his hair, grinding against him. I shoved his coat off and fumbled around with the buttons on his shirt, hurrying quickly up the short stairwell into our bedroom. He pushed me down onto our bed and crawled over me, shrugging off his shirt. He skimmed his hands over my sides and I shivered, closing my eyes. Harry kissed my stomach through my dress and whispered quietly, "I don't know if you can hear me in there, but I'm your daddy, and I promise that I'm going to love you forever. You'll be my big boy or my little princess."

I pulled him up to me, pouting. "I thought I was your princess!" I said, running my hands lightly over his pecs. Harry pulled at the zipper on my dress, trying to get it off. "You're the queen of my world now, baby." He looked like he was about to say something else, but once I got my dress off, Harry shut right up. I had gotten a lacy black and blue lingerie set especially for tonight. The bra pushed my already slightly swollen boobs up and out, and the small panties fit snugly on my hips, leaving little to the imagination. I arched my back a little, allowing Harry to take off my bra. I laughed at his dopey smile and kissed him, moaning when I felt his giant hands on my breasts. Harry slid down my body, planting little kisses and nips as he went, and my breath caught in my throat when he slid my panties off, biting lightly on my hip bones. "Harry...." I groaned, opening my legs a little more. He smirked from between my legs, caressing my thighs. "Yes? What can I do for you?" I sat up on my elbows and glared at him. "You know damn well what you can do!" He laughed. "Oh no sweetheart, you've gotta tell me. What do you want?" Harry said, kissing the insides of my thighs. "Oh my god...I want you to eat me like it's the last fucking supper!" I yelled in frustration. His eyes darkened considerably and he licked his lips. "You got it, baby." He descended onto me and I gasped, my hips bucking a little as he licked my slit. "Ah! Oh god, Harry!" I moaned, tangling a hand in his messy curls. Harry gripped one of my thighs and bit my clit, pressing his hand against my stomach when I arched my back off of the bed. He slid two of his fingers into me, twisting and curling them just right and hitting that special spot inside me. "Please Harry, don't stop! Dio mio! Si!" I cried out. When I felt him remove his fingers, my eyes widened and I opened my mouth to protest, but I gasped instead. Harry had shoved his pants and boxers off and swiftly thrust into me, burying himself deep inside of me.

We stayed like that for a moment, still and breathing heavily. Harry kissed me gently, but passionately. I ran my hands down his back and moved my lips to his ear. "Please Harry, wreck me. I don't want to be able to walk after you're done with me." Harry groaned and bit down on my neck. "As you wish, Princess." He slipped out of me, but slammed back into me, setting a hard rhythm without giving me a chance to adjust. I moaned underneath him, my eyes rolling back. "Oh my god, Harry! Just like that!" I moaned out, waves of pleasure washing over me. "Jesus, you're so wet and warm, Anna. So good..." Harry grunted. I decided to take things up a notch and flexed myself around him. "Is that all you've got, baby?" I said breathlessly, biting my lip. Harry's eyes darkened and the smile he gave me sent shivers through my body. "You shouldn't have said that."

Harry pulled out of me and flipped me over, grabbing a handful of my hair to force me onto my hands and knees. He slammed back into me and I screamed, my legs almost giving out. "Holy shit, oh fuck yes!" I whimpered, my mouth falling open. "Is this what you want, baby? You like me fucking you like this?" Harry growled, fucking me relentlessly. "Oh god yes, Harry, just don't stop it!" He smacked my ass in response and I let out a porn star-worthy moan. I fisted the sheets in my hands as that familiar coil began to wind tighter inside of me. "Harry, baby, I'm gonna cum!" Harry pulled me up against his chest, holding me by my throat, still thrusting into me. "Hold it, baby." He groaned, using his other hand to roll my clit between his fingers. My head fell back onto his shoulder and I wrapped my arms around his neck, moaning. "Please, Harry! I can't!" "Cum for me. Now!" He moaned in my ear. I did as he said, and was hit with one of the most intense orgasms I've ever had. Stars burst out behind my eyelids, and heat spread all over my body. I could feel Harry empty himself inside of me, groaning and gasping. We fell forward onto the bed, both of us sweaty and breathing hard. Harry rolled off of me and I moved closer to him, laying my head on his chest.

"Is it just me, or was that the best we've ever done?" I said breathlessly. Harry laughed, kissing my head and pulling me closer to him. "That was definitely the best. Even better than the night with the chocolate syrup and the handcuffs." I giggled, kissing him lightly. Harry pulled me back to him, giving me a long, slow kiss. "I love you. Both of you." He said, slipping his hand between us and rubbing my stomach gently. I smiled at him sleepily. "I love you too, Harry." I laid my head on his chest and Harry pulled the blankets up around us, holding me against him. My ring sparkled in the moonlight streaming through the windows and I smiled. "We're getting married, Harry." I whispered. I felt him kiss my forehead, sighing. "I can't wait, Princess."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, my lovelies! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you did, feel free to leave some kudos/feedback below - I read/respond to them all! Love y'all!! - H xx
> 
> P.S. If you couldn't tell, "vuoi sposarmi" means "will you marry me" :)


	14. Chapter 14

The sun was coming up. As the light appeared in the window, a tear rolled down my face. I turned over and touched the empty space next to me. The note that I had read dozens of times by now sat on the rumpled sheets.

"By the time you read this note, I'll be on the plane. But before I go, I've got to tell you something. Princess, I love you more than anything on this entire planet. You are my life, my reason, my soon-to-be wife, and the mother of my unborn child. Annalisa Elisabetta Gagliano, you are my entire world, and I can't imagine a life on this earth without you in it. I remember when we first met at the airport for Ellie and Josh's wedding. I thought you were pretty then, but as the days passed, I realized that I had never met a woman as beautiful, sweet, kind, intelligent, funny, caring, driven, and simply as extraordinary as you are. I don't know where I would be right now if it weren't for you. These next few months are going to be the longest I've ever had to live through. I promise I'm going to be home as much as I can. I'm a phone call and an airplane away if you need ANYTHING. You say the word, and I'm home. I love you, Princess. You and the baby are the most important things to me right now. Be safe, beautiful. I'll be home as soon as I can."

I cuddled with Sage for a little while longer before I decided to get up and drive myself over to Sophia and Liam's place. I didn't feel like being alone, and I had a feeling that she didn't either. I pulled on some leggings and one of Harry's sweatshirts and walked downstairs. I screamed when I saw a man sitting at our kitchen table, and clutched my chest when I saw that it was just Teddy, one of the guys on Harry's security team. "Jesus Christ, you scared the hell out of me, Teddy!" I said, laughing a little. Teddy stood up, smiling at me. "Sorry, ma'am. Didn't mean to frighten you." I rolled my eyes, walking into the kitchen to grab a banana. "Teddy, for the thousandth time, I've told you to please call me Anna. Only my students say 'ma'am'." Teddy flushed and I smiled, patting his shoulder. At 28 he was the youngest guy on Harry's team and my favorite. "Please tell me Harry didn't enlist you to 'guard' me." Teddy smiled sheepishly and I threw my hands up, laughing. "Christ, he acts like I'm helpless!" I said, pulling on my boots. "He's just worried. He wants you and the baby to be safe while he's away. Congratulations, by the way." Teddy said, gesturing to my tummy. I smiled brightly, grabbing my bag. "Thank you, Teddy. But please, go home. I know your son wants to see you, and you deserve a day off. I promise I won't tell Harry."

After repeated promises that I would call him if I needed him, Teddy got in his car and drove home. I knew he was excited to spend the day with his son, who was just a toddler. I rubbed my stomach as I got into Harry's Range Rover, starting it up and driving away. "I hope you look just like your Daddy, baby. He's pretty damn handsome." I said, smiling and thinking of Harry's dark brown curls, beautiful stormy eyes, and crooked smile. "He's gonna be gone for a little while, but he loves you very much and he's gonna be back soon. He loves both of us, baby, and he can't wait to be a daddy."

Sophia squealed when she saw me looking like a human, and not crying. "I was so happy that you didn't show up on my doorstep last night! I'm guessing he took it well?" She said, leading me inside and to the kitchen. I nodded, grinning and sitting down at the counter. "I actually think he's more excited than me. You were right Soph, I was worrying for nothing." I said, gratefully accepting her cup of tea. I sipped it and Sophia gasped, staring at me. "Anna, what is that?" She said, her mouth hanging open. I looked at her in confusion then down at my hands, and a smile spread across my face. "He had his own surprise too." I said happily, my voice bubbling with excitement as I showed her the sparkling ring. "Oh my god, Anna! It's stunning! Love, you're getting married!" She laughed, coming around the counter to hug me tightly. I giggled and hugged her back, happy tears pricking at my eyes. "I can't remember the last time I was this happy. I'm marrying my best friend, we're having a baby, and I have my dream job." I said, wiping at my eyes. Sophia laughed and wiped her own eyes, grinning. "Well, now we have to look at wedding dresses AND baby names!" She said, running to get her laptop.

"Any preferences in mind?" Sophia asked as we sat on the couch, waiting for her laptop to boot up. "Something attractive and sexy, but classy and romantic. I want to feel like a queen. And this child is having an Italian name. Harry has no say in that matter." I laughed, tucking my legs under me as Sophia began to pull up several designer dress websites, browsing through the styles with me excitedly. I felt my phone begin to buzz and I picked it up, answering without looking. "Hello?" Gemma's loud voice resounded through the speaker, and I had to literally hold my phone away from my ear. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU SAID YES!! YOU'RE REALLY MARRYING MY LITTLE BROTHER!! OH, MY GOD, WE'RE GOING TO BE SISTERS!!" I tried to hold back my laughter as she finished her spiel, bringing the phone back to my ear. "I take it he told you? And hopefully Anne and Robin, and Des?" I said, getting up and going to the kitchen to make some tea. "He did, and Mum cried her eyes out. Harry said she kept saying 'Finally!! Finally!! I knew it!!'. Robin just started clapping. And apparently, Dad said it was 'about bloody time'." I laughed loudly at that one, removing the whistling kettle from the stove. "I'm glad you're all happy. I honestly can't wait to marry Harry." I said, and Gemma sniffed. "I don't know whether to cry or gag so I'm going to do a bit of both. Listen, love, I've got to get back to work but I'll come to meet you for lunch soon, okay? We can talk about wedding stuff! Love you!" She said, and we both hung up. I carried two mugs of tea into the living room, sitting down next to Sophia. "At least your in-laws love you." She joked, and I nodded, a relieved expression on my face. "One less thing to worry about." I laughed, turning my attention back to the gallery of dresses.

\-----

Hours later, I chewed my grilled cheese happily, relieved that I was finally satisfying one of these ridiculous cravings. All day I had wanted a grilled cheese more than anything in the world, and peanut butter cookies. "You would want unhealthy food, baby." I said absentmindedly, looking down at my stomach as I took another bite. My phone began to buzz and I looked over, squealing excitedly when I saw Harry's picture on the screen. I unlocked my phone quickly to answer, a smile spreading across my face. "Hi, baby!" I said, taking a sip of my water. "Hey, beautiful. How are you doing?" Harry asked, and just hearing his slow voice immediately put me at ease. "I'm doing fine. We both are. What about you?" I said, my hand drifting automatically to my stomach. I heard Harry chuckle, and the noise made me smile. "I'm alright, just tired. I already miss both of you. We just got to the hotel in Sydney." I stood up and took my plate over to the sink as I talked. "What's it like there? I've never been before!" I said, a little jealous. There was a rustling on the other end of the line like Harry was moving around. "It's big. A bit like London, but more beachy. It's a really beautiful city. But not as beautiful as you." I snorted, blushing a little at Harry's words. "Would you really get in trouble if you just flew to Sydney?" Harry said with longing, and I laughed. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'd get fired, baby. But trust me, I already miss you like crazy. I can't wait for you to start the UK leg." I heard Harry sighed, and it made my heart ache. The first night he was gone on the last tour was hard, but this time it was so much worse. He hadn't just left me at home - he left our baby too, even though it wasn't even born yet. "We're gonna be fine, Harry. I'm taking good care of both of us." I said, nearly able to read his mind. Harry let out a puff of air like he was falling back against his bed. "I know. But I should be taking care of you too. You're having my baby." He said, and I heard Irish and British accents yell "WAIT, WHAT" in the background, and Harry swore quietly. "Did you forget they were in the room?" I said, giggling. Harry groaned, and I laughed louder, imagining him being bombarded by questions from the boys. "I'll let you handle that, I'm going to take a shower then crawl in bed. I love you, Harry." I said softly, and I could almost see the smile on his face. "I love you too, Princess. Both of you."

\-----

I pushed Harry back onto the couch, straddling his lap and teasing him by hovering just above his length. "Anna, come on baby, just do it..." Harry groaned, looking up at me. I smirked, placing my hands on his shoulders and lowering myself slowly onto him. "Fuck..." Harry growled, letting his head fall back as I sunk down on his cock. "Shit, Harry!" I gasped as my walls stretched around him. I stayed still and let my eyes drift shut for a moment when I bottomed out on him, letting myself adjust. Harry's hands on my back brought me around, and I opened my eyes long enough to see him lean in and press his lips against mine. I melted against him, feeling his arms tighten around me like he was afraid to let me go. Time seemed to slow down a little, and I let my fingers trail across his shoulders and neck, into his hair. "Love you. Love you forever." Harry whispered, and I smiled, kissing him gently.

My alarm jolted me awake and I looked around, my eyes adjusting to the darkness of my bedroom. When I realized that it was just a dream, and Harry wasn't sound asleep beside me, sadness filled my chest and squeezed it in a vice grip, making tears fill my eyes. We had done the whole tour thing before and were seasoned vets at keeping up communication when we had to be apart, but this time it hurt so much more. I wanted him to come to my doctor's appointments and be here to tease me about my weird cravings, which this morning was toast with strawberry jam and hot chocolate. I wanted him to be able to be here to share my excitement when my stomach began to look a little bit rounder and firmer than normal. I would never tell him this because I knew he already felt terrible about leaving home, but I missed him so much that it was like a physical ache.

Today was my official four-month mark, and I was still trying to figure out an appropriate way to tell my coworkers and friends that I was having a baby. They had all seen my engagement ring and naturally gushed over it, but having a baby out of wedlock was a slightly touchier subject. It was hard to gauge what people's reactions would be, and if they would stay quiet about it or leak it to the press.

Once I stopped thinking about all the publicity shit, I was excited beyond belief. I had finally started to show. This morning, I had woken up and looked in the mirror, and squealed loudly when I saw that the small bump I thought I had been imagining was finally visible. I quickly grabbed my phone and FaceTimed Harry, almost bouncing with anticipation. He answered after a few rings, and I saw that he was sitting in a stadium, looking tired but happy. "Good morning, gorgeous. You just waking up?" He said, and I nodded, grinning. "Yeah, did you just finish rehearsal?" Harry sighed dramatically and nodded, making me laugh. "Do you want a little present?" Harry looked a little more awake and nodded, curious. I flipped the camera and stood sideways, pulling my big t-shirt up and pointing my phone at the mirror. "Say hi to your baby." I said, nearly crying at the look of shocked happiness on Harry's face. "Holy shit. Holy shit it's a bump. You have a bump!" Harry said gleefully. I giggled, looking down at my little bump, rubbing it gently. "Yeah, I do..." I trailed off, smiling. I rubbed my finally-popped stomach gently, giggling at the sight of my baby making itself known. "You're so perfect, Anna." I heard Harry say and I blushed, looking at my phone and smiling when I saw him gazing at me. "Go get some rest before the show, baby. I'll call you later okay? We love you!" I said, blowing Harry a kiss before hanging up and getting ready for the day.

\-----

I had been invited out to the pub by Lauren and Perrie after work that night, and I figured it wouldn't hurt to just go and chat with my coworkers, especially two that I had helped get together. They were finally in an exclusive relationship, one that they obviously kept private at work, but I was beyond happy for them. Their personalities complemented each other so well - they were like two puzzle pieces. We arrived at the Hog's Head and sat at one of the high tables, Lauren offering to grab us some drinks. I panicked for a second, realizing that they would probably figure out that I was pregnant when I didn't order any alcohol. Thankfully it was colder than ever, so I had the excuse of wearing sweaters to work every day, which hid my bump pretty well. Perrie asked for a vodka cranberry, and naturally, they both looked surprised when I asked for a sparkling water instead of my usual pint or glass of wine. Lauren got the drinks regardless, and we all toasted to the school year ending soon, but not soon enough. I sipped my drink and felt Lauren and Perrie's eyes on me the whole time. "What?" I said defensively. They were both quiet, and then Perrie spoke up. "Okay, no offense Anna, but you never turn down a good drink, so are you pregnant?" I was silent for a moment and that was apparently all the confirmation the girls needed. Lauren gasped and Perrie squealed "Oh, you ARE!" and they both came around the table to hug me tightly. "I'm so happy for you! Does Harry know?" Lauren asked, looking at me carefully. I nodded, smiling widely. "Yeah, he does. I told him the same night that he proposed. I've never seen him so happy before." I said, wiping my eyes and making the girls "aww". "Have you told anyone else?" I shook my head at her, frowning. "Sort of. We've told some friends, and we're telling our parents soon. But we're not telling the world anything right now - mums the word, okay?" Perrie nodded feverishly and Lauren made a zipping motion across her lips, making all of us laugh. "Thanks, ladies. I knew I could trust you two." I said, and soon I was bombarded with whispered questions. "How far along are you?" "Have you found out what you're having yet?" "Please tell me you're naming it Harry Junior." I laughed particularly loudly at the last one. "I just hit four months today, so I'm in my second trimester. I don't want to find out the gender quite yet, I'm trying to find a time where Harry will be home so we can do it together. And dear God, no, we are not going to name it Harry Junior." I said, laughing hysterically. "Well, here's to Baby Styles! No matter the gender, it'll be perfect because it has two wonderful parents." Perrie said, lifting her glass and we followed suit, my eyes filling with happy tears. "Thanks, you guys." I sniffed, laughing when I felt their arms around me again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, my lovelies! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Feel free to leave some kudos/feedback down below - I read/respond to them all! Love y'all! - H xx


	15. Chapter 15

I laid on our bed, curled up and watching some old documentary on Netflix. The boys' show in London would be ending soon, and I was still angry that I wasn't there. It wasn't my choice at all, though. It was a decision made by Harry and our security team. A few days before the show, people online had made threats against me, saying that if I showed up at the O2, they would beat the shit out of me. Once Harry heard that he told me there was no way I was coming to the show. He understood my frustration because I loved watching him perform, but he would never put my safety and our baby's life on the line just for me to be at his shows. I understood and completely agreed, but I was still upset. Live music was one of my favorite things, and when the main act was my fiance, it was a hundred times better. I had gone to both of the London shows on the last tour, and I had had the time of my life. I sighed and turned off the show, lying down and closing my eyes, my hand resting automatically on my little bump.

What seemed like a few minutes later, even though it was probably a couple hours, I felt a pair of warm lips trailing up my shoulders and neck. Instinct told me to scream, but the hand brushing up my thigh made me smile softly. "Hi." I murmured, and suddenly I was turned so I was underneath Harry. He held himself above me, and my breath caught in my throat when I saw his beautiful eyes staring down at me. "Fuck, I missed you." He whispered, leaning down to kiss me. I sighed, running my fingers through his curls, melting against him. I hated him being away, but the reunion was always so sweet. "How was the show, babe?" I asked quietly, brushing my hands across his cheeks. Harry turned his head and kissed my palm, making me smile. "Amazing, honestly. Would have been much better if you had been there. I know you love watching me." He teased. I huffed, rolling my eyes. "Yeah, well, baby Styles comes first." I joked, looking down at my bump. Harry followed my gaze, and his eyes widened a little. "Holy shit...you have a bump." I laughed, scooting up on the bed a little bit. "Yeah babe, you've seen it before." Harry flushed, making me laugh even more. "Not in person, though." He hesitated for a second and I took his hand in mine, placing it on my stomach. "You can touch it, Harry. That's your baby in there." Harry brushed his hands across my slightly rounded stomach, his face blank. "My baby." He breathed and I nodded, smiling at how gentle his hands were on me. "Your baby." I said quietly, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw the smile on his face. Harry scooted down in between my legs and held my stomach between his hands, kissing it softly. "Hi, baby. I hope you can hear me already, and I hope I didn't wake you up. We're already so ready to meet you, your mummy and I. I love you, sweetheart." He whispered against the taut skin of my belly. When he looked up at me, I held my breath - even in the dim light of our room, I could see the hungry look in his eyes, which had turned a dark forest green. "And now I'm gonna show your mummy just how much I love her." I opened my mouth to question him, but I let out a moan instead when Harry moved down completely between my legs and licked a long stripe through my panties. "Harry!" I gasped, propping myself up on my elbows and looking down at him, and he smirked up at me. I think he could see the desperate look in my eye because he pulled my panties down in a split second and pushed my legs apart. "No teasing tonight. We need this." Harry said, and before I could say anything else, Harry fastened his lips around my clit and the only noises that fell from my lips were moans and screams. "Fuck, I missed your tongue." I whimpered, feeling myself get pushed closer and closer to the edge by Harry's talented mouth. "Baby, please, please, stop. I wanna come with you inside me." I begged, and the look on Harry's face could have made me orgasm right then and there. He kissed his way back up my body, taking his time with my bump, before pushing his sweats and boxers down his legs. I bit my lip when I saw his length slap up against his stomach, leaking like a faucet. Harry started to move over me, but I placed a hand on his chest, shaking my head. "I wanna ride you, Daddy." Harry let out a loud groan and leaned down to kiss me hard, rolling us over gently. I straddled him, pulling off my cami and letting him see me properly naked for the first time in weeks. "Jesus Christ, you're fucking perfect." He said, running his hands up and down my sides. I flushed and smiled, reaching down to stroke him firmly. "You want me, Harry?" Harry let out a strangled moan at the contact and nodded frantically. "Fuck yeah baby, come on, it's been too long. Just do it, please." I slid down onto him carefully, moaning loudly at the familiar stretch. I vaguely heard Harry growling as my walls squeezed his length in a vice grip, and I let out a gasp when I bottomed out. I stayed still for a moment, smirking a little as Harry groaned at the feeling of my walls flexing around him. I began to rock back and forth, rolling my hips and whimpering as he hit every spot of my oversensitive walls. "Fuck, Harry, that feels amazing!" I moaned, letting my head fall back. Harry didn't say anything, he just gripped my hips tighter and began to move me back and forth faster, making a shriek fall from my lips. His thumb attached to my clit, rubbing furiously and I almost asked what he was doing until I saw his face. His face was flushed, his jaw clenched, and his eyes dark. He was so close to falling over the edge, but his rule was that I always came first. Tonight, that was gonna change. He always takes such good care of me, now it was time for me to take care of him. 

I grabbed his hands, bringing them up to my breasts as I began to grind harder, smiling when I heard a strangled moan fall from his mouth. "Princess, I'm close..." He warned, his abs starting to tighten. I nodded, circling my hips and biting my lip when Harry cursed loudly. "I know. Let go, Daddy. I wanna feel it." I choked out. My begging moan was all it took to set Harry off. He grabbed my hips, yelling my name as he stilled inside of me, thrusting a few more times before his body went limp against the bed. I slid off of him, curling up beside him. "You're the devil, you know that, right?" Harry said breathlessly, and I giggled, kissing his neck as he pulled me against him. "But you didn't...?" He said, and I shook my head. "I wanted to make you feel good tonight. Don't worry about me, baby." Harry raised his eyebrows, propping himself up on his forearm as his other hand splayed across my belly, slowly moving further down. "You know it doesn't work like that, Anna. You always finish first." Harry's fingers attached to my clit again and I moaned as he began to circle it gently. "Harry..." I whimpered, and he smirked down at me. "What, what do you want?" He said cheekily and I mewled for him, pulling his face down to mine and kissing him hard. "Make me scream." I begged against his lips, and I felt Harry grin before he shoved two fingers inside of me, hooking them and making me cry out. "Something like that?" He rasped, and I nodded desperately, still so close to the edge. Harry began pounding them in and out of me, rubbing my clit with his thumb and sucking on my neck, and I felt my orgasm approaching at breakneck speed. "C'mon baby, I can feel you clenching, come for me, Princess." Harry growled, hooking his fingers especially deep. I cried out as I hit my peak, the pleasure washing over me in intense waves. "Good girl. Good girl." Harry groaned, working me through my high and slowly withdrawing his fingers once I had calmed down. "Fuck, that was so good." I gasped, laying back against the bed and smiling lazily up at Harry. He grinned, leaning down to kiss me slowly. "I'm glad you're home." I murmured, and he smiled against my mouth. "Me too." I felt his length hardening against my leg and I smirked, taking his fingers into my mouth and sucking our combined juices off of them. He stared at me lustfully and I grinned, letting his fingers go with a pop and biting my lip. "Round two?" He said hopefully, and I grinned, nodding and pulling him on top of me.

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The next morning, I woke up to an odd but familiar sensation in my stomach and groaned as a wave of nausea swept over me. I made it to the bathroom just in time, pulling my hair away from my face and praying that the sound didn't wake up Harry. Of course, it did. I felt his fingers combing my hair back as I retched, and his other hand rubbed my back soothingly. As the nausea subsided, I laid my cheek on the edge of the toilet, trying to calm down. "I thought morning sickness only lasted the first trimester? At least that's what I've heard." Harry murmured, sitting against the wall and pulling me into his lap. I closed my eyes as the sensation rushed through me again, and my nausea spiked. "It does, usually." I groaned, trying to fight back the urge to vomit. "It's the baby. It's starting to move around and flutter. The movement makes me really nauseous sometimes." I said, laying my head on Harry's shoulder as I tried to push down my gag reflex. Harry kissed my forehead and laid his hand on my bump. "Hey, baby Styles, take it easy on Mummy, okay? She doesn't feel too good when you roll around like that, sweetie." He said quietly, and I grumbled in annoyance as the feeling stopped. "The baby went back to sleep. I can't believe it. It's still a damn fetus and you're already a better parent than me." Harry chuckled and kissed my nose, smiling down at me. "You're a better parent than me by default, love. You're giving birth to the kid." I laughed and snuggled against him, yawning a little. "God, I can't wait for this kid to get here. Four and a half months and I'm already exhausted." I mumbled, feeling myself slipping back to sleep. Harry smiled against my hair and I let out a tiny gasp when he stood up with me in his arms bridal style. "Come on, back to bed with you, beautiful." I snuggled my face into his neck, smiling. "Mmm, tall, handsome, and strong? How did I get this lucky?" Harry set me back down on the soft duvet and I whined when he started to walk towards the door. "No, baby, come back." I pouted, reaching out for him. Harry smiled, shaking his head. "I'm grabbing you some water, love. I'll be back in a minute."

Harry came back a few minutes later with a bottle of water, which I began gulping down gratefully. "How are you feeling?" Harry asked, climbing back into bed and pulling me against his side. I sighed, cuddling into him and smiling to myself. "Better, now that you're home." But not for long, I thought to myself. I knew Harry had to leave tomorrow night, but I was trying to not think about that. He had radio interviews and album/tour promo to do with the boys in the States, which would keep them busy until the South America leg started. It was a hard, hard schedule, but we were used to it.

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"I'm about to post the photo, Harry, are you really ready?" I said, looking at Harry with trepidation. We were finally going to announce to the world that we were engaged - we figured it would probably be better to reveal a wedding ring before a baby bump, rather than the other way around. "I'm ready, Princess. Go for it." Harry nodded and I clicked "post" and fell back against the bed, groaning and giggling nervously. I had picked a photo of Harry holding my hand in the taxi the night we got engaged, and my ring was sparkling in the passing city lights. "I've waited a hundred years, and I'd wait a million more for you. Mr. and Mrs. Styles, coming soon" was the caption I had chosen. Harry and I were pretty secretive on social media with our affection, posting about each other very rarely. It was something that Harry was pretty adamant about early on in our relationship, and I was more than happy to agree. The world doesn't have a right to know everything that goes on in our lives and we have no obligation to share the details of our love with them. But with stuff like this, we were excited to tell people. Just like we would be excited to tell people about our baby - when we're ready. Harry crawled up between my legs, and I thought he was going to come up and cuddle with me, but instead, he brought tears to my eyes when he laid his cheek down on my bump, wrapping his arms around me protectively. "You know we have to head to your parents' house soon, right?" I said, trying not to giggle. "Yeah, but that's not now." He said, kissing my bump lightly before leaning his face back on it. I ran my fingers through my hair, and as I felt him relax, I knew he was falling asleep on my bump and I was more than okay with that. Our first family nap, I thought to myself as I settled against the pillows and dozed off.

\-----

Later that night, we pulled into the Anne and Robin's driveway, and I was more nervous than I was the very first time I came here. We had four gift bags, one for Anne, Robin, Des, and Gemma, and they all had onesies in them. It was the cutest and simplest way we could think of to tell them all that we were having a baby. "You alright love?" I nodded, breathing in deeply. "Yeah, just ready to do this." I felt the baby roll over in my stomach and I looked down, smiling. "And apparently so are you." I laughed, and Harry automatically reached over to rub my bump, even though he wouldn't be able to feel the baby's movements yet.

I had on one of Harry's sweatshirts and some leggings so that my bump wouldn't be terribly visible, but I would be able to show it later tonight. We walked up the front path and knocked on the door, trying not to laugh when we heard an excited yell from inside. "There you are!" Anne said happily when she opened the door. "Are they here? I wanna see the ring!" I heard Gemma say, laughing as she rushed into the front hall. I giggled, holding out my hand and smiling when she gasped. "Oh Anna, it's amazing! Haz, I didn't know you had such good taste!" She teased, and I laughed at Harry's flushed face. "Leave him alone, Gem. Come on you two, we're about to eat dinner." Anne said, giving Harry a little side hug and leading us into the back garden. Des and Robin hugged us both, and we all sat down to dig in.

Once we had finished eating and were just sitting around chatting, I glanced over at Harry, and he nodded, smiling at me. "Hey, we actually got you guys some presents!" I said cheerfully, smiling at Anne, Robin, Des, and Gemma. Harry grinned and got up, retrieving the gift bags from the coat closet. He handed them to the adults then sat back down next to me, wrapping his arm around me. All four of them opened up the bags, pulling out their gifts with looks of confusion, but Anne was the first one to realize what the little onesies meant. "Oh my god, are you pregnant!?" She shrieked, looking at Harry and I. We both nodded, identical smiles on our faces, and the room exploded. Robin was the closest to me, so he pulled me in for a hug first, laughing happily. Anne was a complete mess, hugging Harry and I and crying. Des was clapping Harry on the back, a look of pride on his face. Gemma tackled me as soon as Robin let go of me, sobbing about getting a sister and becoming an aunt all at once, which of course made me start crying. Once all the crying and hugging had died down, Anne immediately asked how I was feeling, if the baby was moving properly, how far along I was, etc. And, like a good future daughter-in-law, I answered them all patiently. Gemma looked absolutely devastated when we said that we didn't know the gender yet, which made everyone immediately place bets on what the baby would be. Des and Anne both thought it would be a boy, but Robin and Gemma were both firmly on Team Girl. Listening to them go back and forth almost made me cry again, but with happiness. My phone began to ring, interrupting the conversation and I pulled it out, glancing at the name before looking at Harry with raised eyebrows. "It's Mom." He immediately looked just as nervous as I did, and with good reason. We had overnight shipped my mom a package just like the ones Harry's family had gotten, and we were both afraid of how she would react. Her package had a small yellow onesie with a note attached that read "I can't wait to meet you this fall, Nonna. Ti amo! From: Anna, Harry, and Baby Styles" After all, we weren't married yet and I was pretty pregnant. “Go ahead, love. Answer it.” Anne said kindly. I answered the call, speaking carefully. "Hi, Mom. How are you?" I was immediately bombarded with crying and rapid Italian. "Non posso credere che tu sia incinta! Oh, mia dolce ragazza, tu sarai un madre! Harry sarà un padre! Genitori! Sono così felice per te entrambi!" I covered my mouth with my hand, tears falling down my face again too. "What's she saying?" Harry asked, and I smiled. "She's happy." I whispered. Harry fist-pumped the air repeatedly, and I laughed. "Grazie mamma. Harry e io siamo così eccitati, e sono contento che sei anche tu. Non sappiamo quale sia il genere, ma ti dirò appena lo sappiamo, okay? E per favore, visita ogni volta che vuoi!" I said, sniffing still. We talked for a few seconds more before saying our goodbyes and hanging up. I let out a sigh of relief, sitting back in my chair and laughing. "What was that all about?" Des said, taking a swig of his beer. "That was my mother. She just opened the package we sent her with a onesie and a card in it, and she totally lost it. But she's happy, thank God." I said, drinking my lemonade while Harry snickered. "You're more afraid of my mother than I am, don't even play Styles." I said, making everyone laugh while Harry's cheeks turned pink. "You've never had someone give you a death glare while speaking Italian, it's terrifying!" He said defensively. "I guess you haven't made Anna mad then, yeah?" Gemma chimed in, and I choked on my drink from laughing so hard. 

\-----

Harry had only been on tour again for a week when I got my next ultrasound, just to check on the baby's growth and health. Harry was pissed that he couldn't be there, but I told him that I would show him the photos as soon as I got home. That night, I opened Harry's FaceTime call on my laptop, grinning excitedly. "You ready?" I said, waving the little envelope in front of the camera. Harry nodded, his smile bright. "Show me my baby!" I laughed and opened the envelope, holding up the sonogram photo. This one was far different than the one I had gotten with Sophia - in this one, you could clearly see the baby's head and the outline of its body, and you could see one of its arms as well. It looked like it was waving at us, which made me start crying on the exam chair. "There it is. Your baby." Harry stared at the scan for a moment, then dropped his head into his hands. "Harry? Harry, what's wrong?" I asked, my worry rising, afraid that the reality of being a dad was hitting him; that my worst fears were going to be realized. "It's really there. I'm looking at my baby." Harry said, lifting his head. I let out a tiny gasp and sob when I saw his eyes and face were wet with tears. "Just four more months and you get to hold them. It'll be here before you know it, baby." Harry grinned and wiped at his eyes. "Can I take a picture?" He asked, smiling. I laughed and nodded, sitting up crisscross and holding the sonogram photo against my little bump. "Go ahead, baby." I said, smiling at him. I heard the snapshot noise, then some crazy tapping on his keyboard. "Check Instagram, babygirl." He said, smirking at me. I raised my eyebrows and went onto his Instagram, gasping and covering my mouth, smiling. He had posted the photo of me with the caption " Baby Styles coming to you this fall @annalisagee" I looked up at the camera, smiling at Harry and shaking my head. "Good one. Not better than the onesies we gave to our parents, but still good." Harry nodded, smiling and gazing at me. I blushed under his stare, getting flustered. "What?" I asked, a little defensively. "You're so beautiful. I can't stop staring at you. You're fucking stunning." Harry said plainly, smiling softly.

I flushed pink and wiped at my eyes quickly, sniffing. "You know my hormones are crazy right now, you tricky bastard. How's the tour?" I asked eagerly. Harry leaned back against the couch behind him, sighing. "Oh, you know, the usual. Booze, drugs, beautiful women." I gaped at him but laughed when Louis sat on his lap and smiled at the camera. "We're keeping him entertained." Louis said in a voice that was supposed to sound seductive but ended up sounded drunk. "Don't worry" I smirked, pulling a sleepy-eyed Sage into my lap. "I'm getting more pussy on the daily than Harry." Louis burst out laughing and stumbled off of Harry's lap. Harry glared at me and I giggled, motioning for him to put in his headphones. "Harry," I said softly when he had them on. "The only person who gets to play with this little pussy is you." Harry bit his lip, trying to keep his composure around the other guys. "And I better be the only girl sucking your cock, or this baby's last name is gonna be Gagliano." I said, eyebrows raised. Harry grinned and nodded. "No one else since the day I met you, and no one else for the rest of my life." I smiled, biting my lip and rubbing my small bump gently. "I wanna do that." Harry groaned, looking at me with sad eyes. "I'll come to see you soon, and you can have all the time you want with my balloon belly." I said, and Harry grinned, doing a little happy dance.

I looked at Harry shyly, playing with the hem of my tank top. "Do you...do you want me to take it off?" Harry's eyes widened and he got up, taking his laptop with him to his room. I could hear catcalls and gag noises behind him, and I rolled my eyes, getting comfortable on the bed. "Yes. Please, take it off." Harry said, sitting on his bed. I grinned and lifted my tank slowly, exposing my tanned skin, swelling belly, and newly round breasts that were struggling to be contained by my sports bra. "Holy fucking Christ...oh my god I wish I was there." I smiled and rubbed my bump softly, occasionally trailing my hands up to brush against my chest. "Really? What would you do if you were here?" Harry grinned, running a hand through his hair. "Well, first give you a back rub since you told me it has been hurting lately, and then make you dinner, no matter what weird cravings you have." I laughed and flopped backward, sighing. "You ass! I was trying to be sexy and you went all cute on me!" I said in mock anger, sitting back up and grinning. Harry laughed, and then we were quiet. I looked down at my little bump, resting my hand on it. I heard another snapshot noise and I looked up, smiling but exasperated. "Really?" Harry shrugged, smiling. "I couldn't resist. So, boy or girl?" I thought for a second, then smiled and said, "Boy. I think it'll be a boy." Harry raised his eyebrows, shaking his head. "Nope, wrong, we're having a girl. I want a little princess." I laughed and rubbed little circles on my belly, looking down. "Are you a boy or a girl, baby?" I said giggling, a small part of me hoping that my baby would start kicking early. Just a little sign that they could hear me and knew I was their mommy. "You're going to be an amazing mum." Harry said softly. I looked at the screen, biting my lip. "You think so? Sometimes I get so nervous I start to shake. A whole new person is depending on me...what if I suck at taking care of them?" I said in a rushed voice. "Anna, you take care of children every day. There's no way you could suck at taking care of your own." Harry said, relaxing in his bunk. "I know, but that's different. They're all Year 4's and self-sufficient for the most part. This is a baby. It can't do hardly anything by itself, and it's going to depend on me. What if I suck, Harry?" I said, tears filling my eyes. Harry leaned forward, looking at me seriously through the screen. "Hannah, listen to me. I know you're not going to suck. You know how I know?" I sniffed and shook my head, looking at him. "Because you were raised by your mum. She taught you to be strong, smart, and to trust your instincts. And baby, you have amazing instincts when it comes to kids. You grew up with an incredible mum, so in the back of your mind, you're going to know what to do. I know it." Harry said, and I wiped at my eyes. "I love you so much, Haz." I said in a shaky voice, smiling. "God I wish you were here. I want you beside me." Harry said quietly. I nodded in agreement and laid down, placing the laptop so that he could still see me on the bed. "Talk me to sleep?" I asked, smiling softly at Harry and tracing small circles on my belly. Harry grinned and nodded, settling against his bed and speaking quietly to me. "Close your eyes, Princess. I know you're tired, and I'm sure the little nudge is tired too. Just listen to my voice and drift off. I love you, baby girl. I love you so much, and I can never get tired of saying that. I love you, and the tiny person inside of you. I" But I didn't catch the rest. I had finally drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, my lovelies! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Feel free to leave some kudos/feedback below - I read/respond to them all! Love y'all!! - H xx
> 
> Translations:
> 
> Anna's Mom: I cannot believe you're pregnant! Oh, my sweet girl, you'll be a mother! Harry will be a father! Parents! I'm so happy for both of you! 
> 
> Anna: Thanks, Mom. Harry and I are so excited, and I'm glad you are too. We do not know what the gender is, but I'll tell you as soon as we know it, okay? And please, visit whenever you want!


	16. Chapter 16

I slammed my book down beside me, groaning. Harry had left for South America and Central America a few weeks ago, and I was missing him bad. Pregnancy apparently makes your hormones go crazy, and sometimes you get horny as fuck right out of the blue. Tonight was of those moments. I bit my lip and looked over my iPhone that was charging on the table beside me. An idea popped into my head, something that I had never really tried before. I wiggled out of my panties and massaged my bump as I dialed Harry's number. Before he even answered, I let my hand slip down further and let out a small moan. If Harry had been here, he would have already fucked me senseless. Harry very rarely liked seeing me touch myself - he said he wanted to be the cause of my pleasure. I put the call on speakerphone just as he picked up.

"Hey, Princess."

I smiled and moaned softly at the sound of his voice. "Anna? Baby?" I circled my swollen nub a few times, whimpering. "Oh, Harry..." I whined, reaching up to play with my breast. The line was very quiet, and when Harry finally spoke, his voice was low. "Anna, what the fuck are you doing?" I didn't respond, but his words and tone only spurred me on. I inserted two fingers into myself and gasped. "Oh fuck Harry, yes!" I eased my fingers in and out of me, making sure I stayed vocal. "Mmm Harry, fuck my tight little pussy! Just like that!" I heard his breathing become faster and heavier, and I could almost picture him; sitting on his bed, eyes dark and dilated, hair wild, no shirt on, a bulge in his jeans...I started fucking myself faster at this image, mewling and moaning loudly. "Harry, baby I'm gonna cum! Fuck baby yes!" I screamed, cumming hard all over my hand, cursing and moaning Harry's name over and over. I fell into the bed, gasping and a little sweaty.  
I looked over at the phone and smirked when I saw that Harry hadn't hung up. I picked it up, turning off the speakerphone, and said in a sweet, slow voice, "Sleep tight, Harry." And I hung up.

I woke up around 7:30 the next morning to several texts from Harry.

6:34 am: You fucking minx, I'm out with the boys and you call me like that? x  
6:38 am: I can't stop picturing you fucking your sweet little pussy with your fingers and moaning for me x  
6:50 am: Finally, I got some shower time. You're so lucky that I'm not there. You wouldn't walk for a week after I finished with you xx  
7:05 am: I love you and our baby. I'll call you today okay? You two be safe xxx  
7:10 am: Have a good day baby. You're in big trouble xx

Oh yes.

\-----

"Does anybody want to share something fun that they did this weekend?" I said, smiling at the energetic children that were sitting in their desks around me. I pointed to one of the more excited kids and said, "Yes, Will? What did you do?"

"Iwenttothezoowithmummyand-" I looked at Will sternly and he got quiet. "Will, slow down and remember to use your inside voice. All of us want to hear what you got to do!" I said, smiling gently at him. Will sighed and took a big breath and began again. "Mummy and Daddy took me and Lucy to the zoo and I saw all the tigers and monkeys and I got to touch a turtle!" I smiled and clapped for him, and the rest of the class followed suit. "That sounds wonderful, Will! I'm quite jealous of you; turtles are my favorite animals!" I looked around at the rest of the group, picking who was to go next. "Ava? Do you want to share something you did this weekend?"

Ava opened her mouth to speak, but there was a knock on the door. I frowned and started walking over towards the door. We weren't expecting any classroom parents or student helpers to come in today... I opened the door, and standing there was a delivery man holding a beautiful arrangement of white lilies, daisies, and light pink roses. "You're Miss Gagliano, yes?" I nodded, a little confused. The man smiled handed me a card. "This is for you. The sender asked for it to be delivered to you at work. Do you need me to set it down somewhere?" He said, noticing my baby bump. I smiled and took the flowers from him. "No, but you're very kind, sir. Thank you for bringing them here!" The man smiled and tipped his hat, then headed towards the school exit. I shut the door behind me and giggled, gazing at the flowers. The entire class was staring at me from their desks. "Who sent you flowers?" "They're so pretty!" "Do you know if they're poisonous?" I laughed at the last comment, setting the flowers onto my desk. "I highly doubt someone would send me deadly flowers, Andrew." I opened the card, and my face got continually more flushed as I went on.

"Touch the flowers. Feel how soft the petals are? That's what your skin feels like to me. Notice how good they smell? It's the way you smell. I want you to remember how I touch you, taste you, breathe you in. Remember that my hands will always be better than yours, love. I will always make you squirm more, scream louder, and come harder than anything else. Try to keep THAT off your mind at work.  
I love you, and I love our little one. I can't wait to see you, beautiful.  
Always yours,  
Harry"

I was silent and kept staring at the card a few moments after I finished reading it. He DID say I was in trouble...

"Miss Gagliano?"

I snapped back to reality and saw my student Grace looking at me curiously. "You're really red, are you okay? Do you need the nurse?" I closed the card and set it on my desk, smiling at her. "No, Grace, I'm perfectly fine. It was just a very unexpected surprise." I turned to the whiteboard to start our lesson, but another question rang out behind me. "Miss Gagliano, would you tell us who it's from?" A chorus of agreement rang out and I sighed, turning around. "The flowers are from my fiancé. He knows I love flowers, and he's away for work right now." The girls giggled while the boys gagged. I smiled and shook my head, grabbing my textbook and markers. "Alright you guys, please take out some paper and pencils. It's time to start our maths."

\-----

I could see the kids eating their lunches in the schoolyard from the classroom windows, so I figured it was a good time to call Harry. I clicked on his contact and waited for him to pick up. Almost immediately, he did. "Good morning, Princess." He said, his voice deep and raspy. I knew he had just woken up and that sent a wave of arousal through me; morning sex was one of my favorite things with him. "The flowers are stunning and you're a sick bastard." I said in a flat voice. Harry burst out laughing, and I scowled. "It's not funny, Styles! You made me nearly ruin a perfectly good pair of panties in front of 17 seven-year-olds!" When he didn't stop laughing, I decided to be evil again. "I'm wearing the dress I had on when you proposed to me. Remember that one? The one that hugs my body so well, and shows off my legs? It even makes my bump look good." Harry went completely silent; I got him. "I had to go out and replace nearly all my underwear, you know. My boobs have grown almost twice their normal size. They're so big and full now, and none of my old bras fit. I found this perfect light pink and white lace set the other day though. I'm wearing that right now. I wish you were here to rip it off me..." I trailed off, smiling inwardly. Harry's voice was gravelly when he spoke. "At 8 o'clock tonight, you're going to be on our bed with only your bra and panties on. I will call you, and if you don't follow every instruction I give you to the letter, you're not going to be allowed to come." I bit my lip and nodded. "Yes, sir. I'll do whatever you want."  
I could almost see him smirking at my words. "That's a good girl. I just might let you come more than once tonight."

Harry was silent for a moment, but his voice was broken when he did speak. "I miss you so much Anna. I need you here with me." I sniffed, wiping at my eyes. "I miss you too Haz. We both do." I said, rubbing my belly gently. "I got to hear the heartbeat the other day." I said, biting my lip and smiling. "Is it healthy? Is it okay? Today is the six-month mark, right?" Harry asked, his voice full of worry. I laughed, resting my hand on my belly and leaning back in my chair. "Honey, everything is fine. It has a strong heartbeat, and Doctor Richards says it's growing beautifully. No red flags on any ultrasound I've had. And you were almost right, I'm six months along tomorrow." I heard Harry let out a sigh of relief and I laughed softly. "I love you, Harry. You're so concerned and you're not even here." Harry was quiet for a moment but his voice was deep and serious when he spoke. "Of course I'm concerned, Anna. My beautiful fiancée is home by herself, and she's having my baby. I want to be there so badly and help you with everything and anything that you need and to do anything you want me to. You're my princess, love. I'll always take care of you and protect you, and now I'm going to do the same for our baby." I sniffed and heard some awws on the other end of the phone. "Throw something at them." I said, half annoyed, half amused. There was rustling on the other end of the line for a moment, then several indignant shouts of pain. "Harry!!" I shouted into the phone. "I was NOT serious!" Harry chuckled as he got back on the line. "They're faking it. I threw pillows at them. Love, I have to go in a minute, but I want you to open up your email, okay?" I frowned but did as he said, opening my laptop and pulling up my email. "What am I looking for?" I said, scrolling through my inbox. "It's from me, and the subject line is 'For both my babies'." Harry said, and I could practically hear the smirk in his voice - I knew he loved saying that. I found the email and clicked on it, and scanned through it quickly. I gasped when I finished, a huge smile spreading across my face. Harry had gotten me a full spa package for myself and a friend, and gift certificates to a maternity store and baby store. "Harry, you shouldn't have! This is wonderful!" I could picture his cheeks getting pink and the massive smile spreading across his face. "I know you're working overtime to get as much maternity leave as you can for the baby, but you need some time to get spoiled, princess. And you know that I love spoiling you." I sighed, smiling happily. "If you were here, I'd kiss you until we're BOTH dizzy." The lunch bell rang, and the children started filing back into the room quickly. "Harry, I have to go. Call me tonight baby. I'll be on our bed, legs spread, dripping for you." Harry let out a groan and I giggled. "I love you, Harry." "I love you more than you will ever know, Anna." I bit my lip, grinning. "Bye baby." I hung up, gazing at the email. When I looked up, I saw Edmund standing in front of me. "Hello, Eddie. What can I help you with?" His cheeks flushed a little and he handed me a small bag, speaking quietly and quickly. "ThiswasminebutIdontneeditandyoudo." I smiled gently at his rushed speech and reached into the bag. Tears came to my eyes when I pulled out a small, stuffed elephant. It was floppy and soft - perfect for a baby. I moved around to kneel in front of Edmund, and I smiled. "Did you decide to do this all by yourself?" Edmund nodded, looking down at the ground. I laughed and hugged him gently, looking him in the eye when I pulled away. "Eddie, you have the kindest heart of anyone I've ever met. This is such a sweet gesture. I know my baby is going to love this toy." Edmund smiled, turning a little redder.

\-----

"There has to be a pair of shorts in this store that doesn't look like Daisy Dukes on me!" I said in exasperation, digging through the racks. Sophia and I were making use of Harry's gift to me and hitting up the maternity store. As wonderful as he is, Harry obviously didn't bother to look at the store's website to see what their clothing looked like. "My legs have stayed fucking incredible through this whole pregnancy, and I'll be damned if I don't get to show them off." I grumbled, making Sophia laugh at me. "There really aren't a lot of good jean pairs, just this khaki rubbish." Sophia said in agreement, wrinkling her nose at the selection. I reached for a pair of cloth shorts, eyeing them critically. "These don't look half bad, and let's be honest, I need them. Summer is coming, and my belly is committing treason against the rest of my body." 

After a few more trips to the dressing rooms, Sophia and I left with a bag of shorts, a few maternity tops, and some cute maxi dresses. We started to make our way to one of the cafes since the little one was demanding food. "How does this look?" Sophia said, nodding up at the sign. "Nudge just kicked, so apparently it likes the smell." I laughed, rubbing my belly. Sophia giggled and we went inside, and thankfully were seated quickly. "God, I can't wait to have kids. You honestly look fantastic, Anna. What do you do?" She asked, thanking the waiter for her water. I shrugged, looking at the menu. "Well, I teach small children, so that takes some pounds off. I exercise, and Harry forced me to stop eating junk food. I'm well aware that there are healthy alternatives to cravings, but if I want some ice cream you'd better be damn sure that I'm gonna get some." I said, grumbling. Sophia snickered and I laughed, realizing how nuts I sounded. "It's a lot of work, Soph. But it's worth it when you meet your little person."

About halfway through our meal, two girls walked up to the table with timid looks on their faces. "Uh, Anna? Sophia?" We looked up and they smiled at us shyly. "Hi, we wanted to ask if we could have a picture with you two?" I looked at Sophia and shrugged. "Sure, why not?" I laughed, adjusting myself and getting into the frame with Sophia. After the photo, the girls turned to me. "Are you doing okay? All of us are super worried since Harry is away." I smiled at them, patting my belly. "Y'all are too sweet. I'm doing just fine, and so is the little nugget. And the baby's gender is going to stay a secret until it's born." I added, smiling, knowing what their next question was gonna be. After a few hugs, the girls left, and Sophia and I continued to eat. "Not to sound conceited, but I really think we're the fandom's favorite girlfriends so far." I laughed. Sophia nodded, smirking a little. "Speaking of the sex, does Harry know yet?" She asked quietly, and I shook my head, feeling my face glow at the mention of my baby. "No, I'm still trying to figure out a good time to tell him. But I know he's going to be so happy. I know I was." Happy was an understatement. Curiosity had gotten the best of me so I had scheduled an ultrasound to find out the gender of my baby, and I had burst into tears of joy when they showed me the baby on the screen and told me the gender. I knew that Harry was going to be just as excited as I was.

\-----

Once Sophia and I had parted ways and I was finally pulling up to the house, I noticed something odd. There was a man standing under a street light on the opposite side of our street, tapping away furiously on his cellphone. Normally, this wouldn't phase me, but I had seen this man before. Outside the school, in public, hell I had seen him while Sophia and I were out shopping today. I would have brushed it off as a coincidence if it weren't for the fact that London was not a small city - there are not many opportunities to run into the same person more than once. I clicked on Teddy's contact and put it on speakerphone, feeling a little silly for reacting this way. "Yes, Anna?" He answered, and I looked out of the window at the man, who was still standing in the pool of lamplight. "Hey Teddy, can you come out to the car and help me? I think there's someone following me." Teddy was silent, but I heard movement in the background. I glanced out the window again and realized to my horror that he had moved closer down the street to me, and was glancing at my car every now and then. He was even taking photos on his phone, trying to be covert. I nearly jumped through the roof when someone knocked on the passenger window, but it was only Teddy. He quickly grabbed my bags from the backseat and ushered me inside before the man could come any closer. "Do you recognize him?" Teddy asked once we were safely inside. I shook my head, thinking hard. "I don't know him personally, but he's been popping up in the same places as me lately." Teddy stared at me, glancing towards the door. "And how long has this been happening, Anna?" He said in a steady voice. "A few weeks, maybe? I didn't think anything of it, I figured he just lived around here." Teddy stared at me blankly, then left the room, typing something on his phone. I quickly brewed some night-time tea, rubbing my belly and kicking off my shoes. By the time I was at the table, sipping my drink, Teddy walked back into the kitchen. "We're upping your security." I opened my mouth to protest, and Teddy held up a hand. "You're not going to have the Queen’s Guard, Anna, don't worry. But we're going to have someone drive you around now, and you'll have an escort when you're out in public." I sighed, nodding in agreement. "That sounds smart. And Teddy, please don't tell Harry about this. I'll let him know what's going on, okay?" Teddy nodded and I smiled, glancing at the clock and seeing that it was 7:45. "Fuck. Okay, I need to go call Harry but thank you, Teddy, I feel a lot safer knowing you're taking care of this." Teddy smiled and squeezed my shoulder before leaving the room again, and I bit my lip, remembering Harry's and my phone conversation earlier. I quickly dumped out my tea and the kettle, making my way upstairs. As I stripped out of my clothes and brushed my teeth, I smiled at the shifting feeling inside of my stomach. Earlier in my pregnancy, it used to be the worst sensation I'd ever felt, but now I loved it - I loved feeling my baby move inside of me, letting me know that they were awake and saying hi to me. "Not much longer now, little one." I murmured, rubbing my belly as I settled into bed. I saw my phone light up and I breathed in sharply when Harry's face appeared on the screen. I answered it quickly, biting my lip. "Hi, Harry."

"You've been a bad, bad girl." 

I did my best to not moan at his deep, gravely voice, already feeling the wetness pooling between my thighs. "Hmm, a bad girl? You sure about that, Daddy?" I murmured, smirking to myself when I heard Harry exhale shakily. "I'm sure as fuck, sweetheart. You call me in the middle of the night while you play with yourself, tell me about your sexy lingerie when you're at work, and I'm sure you're laying on our bed right now, making a puddle on the sheets." I blushed, wiggling against the bedspread since I was slowly becoming unable to see anything over my bump. "Not a puddle..." I said shyly, and Harry chuckled. "Not yet, love. Are you in your bra and knickers like I told you to be?" I mumbled a quiet "yes", feeling myself become more and more flustered the more I thought about having Harry's hands on me, all over me. "Good girl. I want you to take it off slowly, almost as slowly as I do." He drawled, and I sighed, setting the phone down and quickly undoing my bra and sliding off my probably ruined panties. "I hope you're naked too, baby. As sexy as you look with clothes on, it makes me beyond wet when you're standing in front of me all tan and tatted..." I trailed off, letting my hair down from its bun. I heard Harry let out a loud groan, and his voice was strained when he spoke. "You don't get to call the shots here, little girl." He said in a stern but aroused voice. "Put me on speaker phone, and reach into your drawer and get that big red dildo I got you." I flushed at the memory of a cheeky Harry presenting me with the discreetly wrapped box as I dug through the bedside drawer quickly. "Now, run it up and down your slit, like it's my cock, Princess." Harry said, his breathing uneven. I could picture him teasing himself with barely-there touches, like the ones I gave him. I ran the dildo up and down my folds, shuddering when it brushed over my clit. "Harry..." I whined, biting my lip. "You must be soaking through the sheets by now baby - I can tell by your voice. You always beg when you want me to absolutely ruin you." Harry rasped. "I'm jacking off, love, but my fist is nothing compared to your hot little mouth or your tight little" "HARRY, please!" I cried, cutting him off. "Please let me fuck myself, baby, I'm so wet for you, please!" Harry moaned and the second I heard him say "yes", I thrust the dildo inside of me, crying out at the stretch. "Oh fuck!" I mewled, and from Harry's growl, I knew he was just as turned on as I was. "Does it feel better than my cock, Princess?" Harry rasped and I whimpered, shaking my head as I thrust the dildo in and out of me, my fingers going to work on my clit. "No, never, Harry. Oh god, baby, I'm really close!" I had been so hypersensitive lately, it was beyond easy to make me come. My orgasms came on quicker and stronger, and I knew this one was going to be a big one. "Beg for it. Beg for me to let you come." Harry choked out, and I knew he was as close as I was. "Harry, please, I wanna come so bad! I wanna come around your big, thick cock while you wreck me. Please, Daddy, let me come!" I begged, and Harry let out an almost animalistic growl. "Fucking come. Come for me, Anna. Come for Daddy." It took less than a minute before I felt my orgasm hit me in shuddering waves. From the grunts and growls on the other end, I knew Harry had reached his peak too, which only drew out my climax. The image of him laying on his bed, panting with his chest and stomach covered in cum nearly drove me to another orgasm. 

A while later, we were still on the phone, talking quietly to each other about our days and what not. When I couldn't have him beside me, hearing his soothing voice was the next best thing. I figured that now would be as good a time as any to tell him about the recent security incident. "So, I wanted to talk to you about something, babe." I said, glancing out the window. "What's up, love?" Harry said. "There was a little...incident today. It's being taken care of, don't worry, but I just felt like you deserved to know." Harry mumbled for me to go on, and I took a deep breath before continuing. "Our security team thinks I have a stalker." I said, and Harry exploded. "YOU HAVE A WHAT?" He yelled, and I winced. "Harry, just relax, it's okay." Harry laughed sarcastically, and I sighed. "How can I relax? I left you there alone and now you have a crazy stalker on your ass!" He said and I groaned. "Harry, I'm okay. I promise. Our team is taking good care of me, and please stop saying you 'left me here'. It's your job, you didn't have a choice. What were you gonna do, ditch the tour and stay here just because I'm pregnant?" I said, getting frustrated. "You could have come with me! See the world, see the shows, all of it!" Harry's voice cracked a little when he said 'me' and I softened a little. "Harry, you know I miss you, right? Every single day. But I can't leave my job, just like you can't leave yours. I would have loved to come on the tour with you, but this is my career." Harry was quiet, so I kept talking. "I'm gonna see you soon baby, I promise. I can't stay away from you forever. I'm kind of addicted to you." I joked, smiling when I heard Harry chuckle. "Just make sure it's somewhere close to home, yeah? Can't have you traveling too far with that cargo." I sighed, laying back and cuddling under the blanket. "You don't have to remind me." I said tiredly, rubbing my enlarged stomach. "Get some sleep, love. You sound exhausted. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?" Harry said gently, and I smiled. "Okay. I love you, Harry." "Love you more, Anna. Sleep tight."

When we hung up, I felt emptier than ever. I missed Harry so much that it felt like a constant stomachache, alongside indigestion that pregnancy already gave me. "Fuck it." I said, taking my phone back out and tapping out an email to my school's headmaster and I smiled as I opened my travel app, booking a round-trip plane ticket. I fell asleep with a smile on my face, knowing that soon I'd be in Harry's arms again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, my lovelies! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Feel free to leave some kudos/feedback below - I read/respond to them all! Love y'all!! - H xx


	17. Chapter 17

Joshua Kennedy. 

That was my stalker. I was able to figure it out after discovering that his niece was a student at my school, and he sometimes had pickup duty. He must have seen me for the first time here, and slowly become obsessed with me. After the incident with Teddy, though, he seemed to be a little spooked and I didn't see him around as often. I decided to let it lie, for the time being, hoping that he would eventually get over his little infatuation with me. Unfortunately, this was not the case. He just got better at hiding in plain sight. I spotted him a few times while out shopping and supervising the afternoon pickup at school when his face had appeared in the crowd. Thankfully, Teddy and Ross, Teddy's right-hand man, were never far behind me and when they saw this they always made sure to either remove me from the situation or step a little closer to me in an effort to scare him off. Unfortunately, unless he made an actual effort to make contact with me, there wasn't anything legal we could do - we technically had no "proof" that he was stalking me. In the eyes of a court, he just happened to be in the same place at the same time as me quite often. But with my heightened security, I felt a little safer going about my day to day activities. In the meantime, I had more important business to attend to. My fiance was performing on the mainland, and I had huge news to tell him.

 

\-----

I grabbed my bag and stepped out of the SUV into the warm evening air. Teddy, who had insisted that he accompany me while I was traveling, tried to help me with my things. I laughed and brushed his hands away. "Teddy, I know I'm pregnant, but it's just a carry-on. I'm fine." Teddy smiled sheepishly and shrugged, leading me inside. Pregnant almost seemed like an understatement. I was 7 months along, and I already felt like a blimp. None of my clothes fit anymore; today I was wearing a pair of leggings that I had managed to put on, a camisole from the maternity store, and a hoodie. We had made it to the Europe and North America leg, and the boys were performing in Rome tonight. What with the stalker situation and finding out the gender, I was in desperate need of some Harry time, so I decided to fly down. By the time we got there, the show was almost over – perfect. I wanted to surprise him when he came off stage.

We walked into the staging area and Sophia rushed over, hugging me gently. "Thank goodness you made it! I've been worrying ever since you told me you had landed!" I laughed and hugged her back as much as my belly would allow. "I'm a big girl, Soph! I can take care of myself!" She frowned at me. "Yes, but you've got some serious baggage with you! My future niece or nephew is lazing around in there!" Sophia said happily, patting my belly. I rolled my eyes and plopped down in the closest chair, sighing. "Jesus Christ, I thought swollen feet weren't supposed to happen until the 8th month..." I muttered, kicking off my shoes and rubbing my feet. "Maybe Harry will give you a foot rub!" Sophia said teasingly. I grinned, rubbing my belly absentmindedly. "Oh, he is definitely giving me a foot rub. Standing all day is torture now!"

"That was brilliant!" I heard Liam shout from somewhere. Fuck, they were done! I started to ease myself up, having some difficulty. I was still sore from the stupid airplane seat and I had enough trouble sitting and standing as it was. "Holy fuck, is that Anna? She looks like she swallowed a planet!" I heard Niall say loudly. "Fuck you, Niall! Yes, it's me, just give me a minute!" I said, trying to get my shoes back on. "Harry! Anna is here!!" Liam shouted, coming over to help me up. "WHAT!?" I heard Harry yell.

I grabbed Sophia and Liam's hands and finally righted myself as Harry came into view. I swear my heart stopped when I saw the face-splitting smile he had on. Harry rushed over and grabbed me, spinning me around. "Easy, babe! I'm carrying precious cargo!" I said, laughing. Harry set me down but didn't let go, and kissed me hard. I wrapped my arms around his neck, sighing happily. "I missed you." I whispered quietly when we broke apart. "You have no idea how much I've missed you, baby." Harry said, kissing my forehead. He kneeled down and rubbed my belly gently, kissing it through my shirt. "And I missed you too, little one." My heart swelled at his words and I looked down at him, biting my lip, almost unable to contain myself. "I have something to tell you." I said, my voice shaking with excitement. "You might want to sit down." I said, pushing Harry into the chair. He stared up at me, nervousness written all over his face. "I went to the doctor last week, and they gave me some pretty big news. I wanted to tell you in person." I said, and Harry began to panic. "Is something wrong, Princess? Is the baby okay?" Harry said worriedly, jumping up and holding my face gently. "It's twins! That's why she looks like she ate Jupiter. She's got two little people in her!" Louis yelled, walking backstage. Harry stared at him, then at me, his mouth falling open. "Is he serious? Are we having twins? I only saw one baby on the ultrasound photo! How did Louis know before me?" I rolled my eyes and glared at Louis, who was laughing. "I am NOT having twins, despite what the size of my belly tells you. Go away, you fucking fairy." Louis shrugged and walked away, muttering about "no sense of humor at all".

"So he's definitely lying? He doesn't know shit?" Harry asked suspiciously. I laughed and shook my head, smiling up at Harry. "Louis doesn't know anything. And I promise you, I only have one baby inside of me." Harry looked at me nervously, holding my small hands in his giant ones. "What's wrong then, Anna? What happened?" "Everything is fine, babe." I giggled, taking his hands and placing them on my stomach. "It's a girl, Harry. We're having a baby girl."

Harry stared at me for a moment, blinking. Then, the realization dawned on his face. "A-a girl?" He said, his mouth hanging open a little. "Seriously? A little girl?" I nodded and he broke into a huge smile, laughing gleefully. "I'm gonna be a dad!!" I laughed and hugged him tightly, tears leaking from my eyes. "You're going to be an amazing dad, Haz." He kissed my neck, my shoulders, my face, and my lips over and over, whispering "I love you".

Harry looked at me pleadingly. "Can I go tell the guys?" I laughed and nodded, letting go of him. Harry grinned and sprinted off, yelling down the hall as he went. "IT'S A GIRL, LADS! I'M GONNA BE A DAD! WE'RE HAVING A BABY GIRL!!" I laughed and followed after him as fast as I could, shaking my head. Was this man really going to raise our child? God help me.

I walked into the room where the boys were gathered and laughed when I saw all of them clapping Harry on the back and hugging him. "There she is!" Liam said, grinning and coming over, hugging me gently. "Congrats, love." He said, kissing me on the cheek. I blushed and smiled, my hands on my stomach. "Thanks, Li. Harry was really hoping for a girl, honestly. He wants a little princess." I say quietly, rolling my eyes playfully. "You're goddamn right I do!" Harry said, grinning at me. I threw my hands up, walking over to the couch, easing myself down onto it. The boys all moved forward to help, and I raised my eyebrows but smiled. "I can still move, guys. I'm starting to waddle, but I can still move." I laughed, settling into the cushions. "Jesus, she's gonna have three extremely protective uncles..." I laughed, rubbing my swollen tummy. "Sorry kid, you're screwed. You won't be able to date till you're married." I said, talking to my stomach. "Once again," Harry said, sitting next to me and putting his arm around me. "You're goddamn right." I rolled my eyes and kissed him to shut him up, smiling.

"Any name ideas yet?" Niall said, plopping down in front of us like it was story time. I looked at Harry, shrugging. "We were going for unisex names since we had no idea what the baby's gender was. So far we've got River, Skye, Jamie, and Jordan. But now that we know it's a girl, I kind of like Elizabeth." I say, looking up at Harry. Harry shook his head, frowning. "Too proper. And that's the Queen. I personally like Darcy." I laughed loudly at him, shaking my head. "Isn't Darcy the asshole rich guy from Pride and Prejudice? No way." Harry opened his mouth to retort but was cut off. "For fuck's sake, just name her Louise after her favorite uncle and be done with it!" Louis piped up from the other side of the room. I laughed uncontrollably at him, my body shaking. "No." Harry and I said in unison.

The boys actually got into a full-scale discussion about what our daughter's name should be, and Harry and I just sat back and watched them go at it. I glanced over at Harry and did a double take when I saw him gazing at me. "What?" I said, blushing lightly. "You look so bloody beautiful." Harry said quietly, smiling at me. I raised my eyebrows at him and snorted. "You're kidding, right? I'm the size of a hot air balloon, and I can't fit in anything half attractive anymore. Your idea of beauty is skewed, babe." Harry grabbed my chin gently and made me look at him. "You have always been the most beautiful woman in the world to me. But when I see you carrying and protecting our little girl, keeping her safe until she's ready to meet the rest of us, that makes you a hundred times more beautiful. You're glowing, Anna. You're amazing." Tears filled my eyes and I kissed Harry gently. "I love you so much. You are going to be such an incredible father. And husband." I added, smiling. "You're going to be an amazing mum, Anna. I can't wait until I get to call you my wife."

"Speaking of the wedding!"

I glared at Louis from across the room, annoyed. "Eavesdropping is wrong, you know." I said in a flat, irritated tone. "I just wanted to know what day to block out in my busy, busy calendar." Louis said in a mock offended voice. Harry laughed loudly and I rolled my eyes. "Sometime after Natalie is born. I need to lose some baby weight before I buy a dress." I laughed, rubbing my stomach. Harry looked at me and placed one massive hand on my stomach over mine, eyebrows raised. "You'd look stunning in anything that you wear. But you mean Katherine, right?" I put my hand beside his and tried to stare at him with a straight face, but snorted a few times. "No, I mean Sarah." A sudden kick hit against my hand and I grunted a little. "Okay, she doesn't like those names. Thanks, sweetie." Harry looked at me, his eyes wide. "Does she...can she kick?" I smiled and nodded, placing his hand flat over my belly. "Usually when she hears music or when I talk to her. Go ahead, try." I said quietly. Harry looked down at my swollen tummy and started rubbing it gently. "Hi, sweetheart. I hope you're doing okay in there. I love you so much already, and we haven't even" Harry stopped speaking when her little foot hit against his hand. I looked at him and bit my lip when I saw that he had tears in his eyes. "She knows my voice?" He asked quietly. I nodded and laced my fingers with his over my stomach. "I play the videos that we've made and hold the phone up to my stomach, or I play your music. I wanted her to know how both of us sound. She loves Don't Let Me Go." I said, giggling a little. Harry grinned and kissed me, making me sigh happily. "I can't believe we're gonna be parents, babe." I shook my head and kissed him again. "Neither can I."

"Alright! I don't know about you guys, but the tiny one is demanding some dinner, so I'll be back soon." I announced, trying to inch myself off the couch. Standing up was definitely more difficult than sitting down these days. Harry saw my struggle and lifted me gently to my feet, laughing only slightly. "Thanks, jerk." I stuck my tongue out at him. I turned and started rifling through my carry-on for my cell phone and wallet, but Harry grabbed it from me. "What the hell?" I protested, looking up at him. "You're not paying for dinner, babe. I am. What do you want? Or really, what does Christine want?" I raised my eyebrows and crossed my arms, pretty much resting them atop my belly. "Allison wants a chicken quesadilla with guacamole on the side and strawberry ice cream. Oh, and orange juice. That last one is for mommy." I smiled, laughing at Niall's disgusted expression. "You're eating guacamole and orange juice in the same meal? What is wrong with you?" He said, almost in disbelief. "I'm a slave to the tiny one, man. What she wants, she gets." I laughed, walking back to the couch and easing myself back down into the cushions. "You'll understand one day, Nialler." Sophia laughed from her spot on Liam's lap. I grinned and blew her a kiss, giggling. "Be back in a flash, beautiful." Harry said, grabbing his jacket and wallet, kissing me deeply before pecking my forehead and walking out.

Harry was true to his word, leaving and coming back with everything I had asked for, right down to the ice cream and guac. "I fucking love you." I grinned, kissing him and dunking the quesadilla into the green dip. Niall gagged a little and I flipped him off, chewing happily. "One day, when your wife is 6 months pregnant and wants full sized dill pickles with dijon mustard, you're not gonna think it's gross." I said, taking a sip of orange juice. Niall shrugged and cracked open a beer, taking a swig and sitting across from me. "I'll definitely think it's gross, but I'll keep my mouth shut so I don't get my head ripped off." I smiled and handed Harry a spoon, opening the little carton of ice cream. "You're a smart man, Ni. Harry, please, have some too. You've been staring at the damn thing forever." I laughed, taking a bite of the cold treat and smiling happily. Harry grinned and dug in, licking his lips. "You're doing that on purpose." I muttered, licking the ice cream remnants off of my spoon. "So are you." Harry said quietly, his eyebrows raised. I snorted and kissed him, smiling. "Tastes like strawberry." I murmured. Harry kissed me a little harder, making me moan. Louis gagged from across the room, and I rolled my eyes. "Eavesdropping, Lou! Wrong!" I yelled. "Don't care!" He yelled back.

Along with dinner, I also got to meet the lovely boys that were the opening act for my boys - 5 Seconds of Summer. Luke, Calum, Ashton, and Michael, all from Australia. They were all so polite, and very careful with hugging me and moving around me. Eventually, I had to tell them to relax, that I wasn't going to explode if you touched me. Of course, all four of them had their own input when it came to names. "Lucy." "Callie." "Ashley." "Michaela." I laughed and looked at Harry, smiling. "I actually like Callie a lot." Calum cheered and fist pumped a little, then slumped over sadly when Harry shot down his name idea.

\-----

Harry told the boys that he would be spending the night in my hotel room instead of theirs, and I tried to hold back my laughter as they started talking excitedly and giving him money in exchange for "high-quality videos". Harry, of course, laughed and told them to fuck off as he led me out of the stadium, shielding me from the cameras and shouting paparazzi on the way to the car.

When we got to our hotel room, I walked over to the bed and opened my bag, pulling out my clothes for the night. I saw Harry watching me, and I flushed red. "Uh, you can go take a shower babe, I know you're really sweaty." I said, trying to get him out of the room. "Why don't you come shower with me?" He smirked, walking towards me. "Harry, really, I smell fine, you need to bathe and I need to get dressed." I said in a small voice, looking up at him. "Then get dressed, I'm not stopping you. I'll undress you later, though." Harry said, grinning. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. "Can you turn around?" Harry looked at me, confusion written all over his face. "What? Why?" I looked down, biting my lip. "I don't want...want you to see what I look like." I said quietly. Harry lifted my chin gently, looking me in the eyes. "Why in the world would I care how you look, Anna? You're beautiful no matter what." I stepped back and Harry sat on the bed, an expectant look on his face. I closed my eyes and lifted my tank top over my head, standing there in just my bra and leggings. I looked at Harry, and my eyes filled with tears when I saw him just staring at me. "I..." He said, trailing off. The dam broke and I let out a choked sob, pulling my hoodie back on as the tears spilled over. "Hey, hey, what's wrong?" Harry said, standing up and pulling me to him. "I wasn't joking when I said I didn't want you to see me. I've got stretch marks all over, weird lines, dark spots, my stomach looks like a beach ball...I'm not beautiful anymore." I cried, hiding my face in my hands.

"You're kidding me, right?"

I looked up at Harry, tears still running down my face. He sat down on the bed, pulling me forward so I was standing between his knees. "Anna, these marks are here because of the little person you have inside of you. Our baby girl. Our daughter. All they mean is that she's growing like she should and that you're taking on all of the challenges that come with being pregnant. Sure, you're gonna get some spots and scars, but they remind you of everything you had to do to keep her healthy and safe." Harry pushed my hoodie off of me and placed his large hands on my belly, making me bite my lip. "You're going to be beautiful, just like mummy. She's the most stunning woman in the world, no matter how many scars she has." Harry murmured, kissing my belly gently. "I don't understand how you think you're not beautiful. You're fucking breathtaking." Harry said quietly. "Honestly, you look more beautiful right now than you ever have before. And you know that I've never lied to you." Harry smiled, rubbing my belly softly. I felt the baby kick against Harry's hands and I giggled at his ecstatic expression. "She knows it's her daddy." Harry said, kissing my belly over and over. I ran my hands through his hair, smiling softly. "How in the world did I get so lucky?" I murmured. Harry grinned up at me, tracing circles on my tanned skin, running his fingers across the light stretch marks. "I ask myself that all the time, Princess." Harry kissed my stomach again, soft and lingering. "I think this is going to get addicting." He laughed, splaying his hands across the sides of his stomach and moving them slowly to my hips. "Well, instead of rubbing my belly, soon you'll be holding our little girl." I said softly, smiling at Harry. "I can't wait, baby."

We gazed at each other for a moment, and without breaking eye contact, I reached around and began undoing my bra clasp. Harry's eyes widened and I giggled, letting the fabric fall away from me slowly. "This has got to be a dream." Harry said, his hands moving up my body slowly to palm my breasts, which in his defense were considerably bigger than the last time he had seen me. "AH!! Gentle, babe! They're sensitive." I cried out and Harry bit his lip and murmured apologies over and over, holding them gently and kissing the swells of my breasts softly. I ran my hands through his hair, closing my eyes. "That feels so nice..." I moaned, looking down at him. Harry smiled against my skin and wrapped his lips around a nipple, sucking then pulling away, shocked. "I..I got milk." He said, staring up at me. I flushed bright red and tried to cover myself, embarrassed to the core. "Oh God, I'm sorry Harry, I should have warned you! I'm so" Harry stood up and cut me off, holding my face in his hands and kissing me hard. "Don't apologize, love. I'm not sure why I was surprised; it should have been pretty damn obvious. Anyway, it didn't taste that bad." He grinned, leaning down to kiss my neck. "I-it didn't?" I stuttered, closing my eyes. "Nope." Harry mumbled into my neck, leaving a dark spot just above my collarbone. "A little sweet, almost. Julia is a very lucky girl." I laughed and pushed Harry down onto the bed, giggling. "We are NOT naming her Julia. End of story." Harry opened his mouth to argue, but no sound came out when I slid my leggings off, revealing my lack of underwear. "You bloody minx..." Harry growled, looking me up and down. "See something you like?" I said quietly, running my hands across my skin. "My gorgeous, pregnant fiancee is standing in front of me completely naked. Fuck yes, I see something I like." Harry said in a low voice, pulling me to him and kissing me roughly. I moaned, pushing him down and straddling him, grinding onto his covered bulge. "I have something you'll like even more."

\----- 

The next morning I stood in the bathroom in my shorts and sports bra and tied my hair up in a messy bun, finishing brushing my teeth and beginning to apply my makeup for the day.

"You get a little more beautiful every time I look at you, and I don't know how you do it."

I shook my head and smiled, not looking up from my eyeshadow palette. "You're such a suck-up." I laughed, brushing the earthy colors over my lids and evening out my eyeliner. Harry came up behind me and pulled me against him, his hands on my stomach and his lips on my neck. "It's part of my charm." He murmured, smiling against my skin. I giggled and did a quick swipe of mascara before turning my head to look at him. Before I could speak, Harry caught my lips in a slow, soft kiss, making my eyes flutter shut. "Good morning, handsome." I whispered when we broke apart, smiling softly at him. He smirked and kissed me again, his hands tracing patterns onto the skin of my belly. "I have a surprise for you, baby." I said, smiling excitedly. Harry raised his eyebrows, amused. "Oh? What is it?" I grinned and shook my head, pulling him out of the bathroom and throwing a t-shirt at him. "That would ruin the whole point of it being a surprise! Nope, you're not finding out until we get there."

A little while later, we were settled into a car, with me translating the Italian GPS for Harry. We pulled up in front of the hospital, and Harry looked at me with wide eyes. "What are we doing here?" He said, parking the car. "Is something wrong with Nellie?" I raised my eyebrows, undoing my incredibly uncomfortable seatbelt. "Seriously? Nellie? No way, Styles. And no baby, everything is fine. I promise. You'll see when we get inside." I said, smiling and kissing him softly. We walked into the hospital hand in hand, taking the elevator to the Radiology floor. I walked up to the nurses' station and the head nurse smiled at me. "Ciao, cosa posso fare per voi due?" She said in a friendly voice. I squeezed Harry's hand and placed a piece of paper on the desk, sliding it to her. "Ho un appuntamento per un l'ecografia con il dottor Pappalardo." I replied, giggling at Harry's expression. He knew maybe 3 or 4 Italian phrases and was clearly annoyed that I wasn't keeping him in the loop on this conversation. The nurse read over the paper quickly and nodded, smiling at us. "Sarete in camera 3309, e il dottor Pappalardo sarà lì in appena un minuto." I thanked her as another nurse took Harry and me to the room, closing the door behind us.

"Okay, what the hell is going on, exactly?" Harry said as he helped me onto the small table. I took his hands in mine and smiled. "I thought that since you didn't get to come to the gender scan with me, you deserved to see her at least once before we both get to meet her." I said softly. Harry looked over at the small computer tower next to the table, and back at me, a grin spreading across his face. "I get to see an ultrasound?" He said with glee. I nodded, smiling and running my hands up his arms. "I know you're not at home all the time, but I still want you to experience all of this with me." I said quietly, smiling up at Harry. Harry laughed and kissed me happily, lacing his fingers into my hair.

The door opened and I heard someone chuckle. We pulled apart and I flushed when I saw the doctor smiling at us. "Do not worry, I see excited new parents all the time. Your first baby, I am guessing?" I nodded, laying back against the raised seat. "Is it that obvious?" I laughed as he washed his hands. "Your husband is very fidgety. Very hovering." I smirked and looked up at Harry, whose cheeks were tinged pink. "Never said that was a bad thing, baby." I murmured, kissing him lightly. Doctor Pappalardo sat down in front of the monitor, typing in my information and prepping the machine. He lifted up my shirt and began spreading the gel onto my stomach. "Alright Anna, I am going to press down on your uterus, yes? Just to check the development since your last scan." He said reassuringly and I nodded, gripping Harry's hand. I groaned in pain when Doctor Pappalardo pressed down onto me, and Harry kissed the top of my head, whispering soothingly. Soon, the doctor stopped and turned to monitor to us, smiling. "And there she is!" I looked up at Harry, who was staring at the screen. "Hello, beautiful." He said softly, his eyes filled with tears. I let out a shaky giggle and kissed his cheek, looking back at the monitor. "That's her, baby. That's our girl." I said quietly, biting my lip. "I can't wait to meet her." Harry said, wiping his eyes. "Everything looks good on here. No deformities that I can see, the heartbeat is strong, and she's obviously quite active but you already knew that, Mom." Doctor Pappalardo said, smiling at me good-naturedly. I laughed and nodded, looking at my stomach. "She's my little calcio player." Harry kissed the side of my head, laughing quietly. "And when I turn this on," the doctor said, flipping a switch. "You can hear her heart." Our little girl's heartbeat filled the room, clear and strong, and I covered my mouth with my hand. "She's okay." Harry said, grinning and kissing me, tears pooling in his eyes. "Do you want some photos?" The doctor said, looking at Harry. Harry looked at the doctor in confusion, obviously wondering why the doctor was asking him specifically. "My daughter is a fan. Far too many posters of you four in her room. According to her, you are on a world tour." I burst out laughing and Harry grinned, embarrassed. "That would be perfect, honestly, thank you." Doctor Pappalardo nodded and helped me wipe the gel off of my stomach before leaving the room to retrieve the ultrasound photos.

Harry looked at me, and for the first time, I couldn't read his face. "What is it, baby?" He hesitated before speaking, and I felt my heart break when he did. "She's really there. My little girl. She's gonna be here soon, and I'm never gonna be around. I'm gonna be a shit dad. Anna...I'm gonna be like your dad." Harry said, looking at me with tears in his eyes. I sat up and took his face in my hands, giving him a hard look. "Harry Styles, you listen to me. You are going to be a wonderful father. You know why? You're here. You're supporting me and taking care of me even when you're thousands of miles away because you want to take care of me, and of our girl. You are a hundred times better than my father ever was, just because you chose to stay no matter how hard it will be. Our little girl isn't going to know a life without a father, because she has an amazing one who is going to be behind her every step of the way, no matter what." Harry kissed me tenderly, leaning his forehead against mine.

As we walked through the lobby of the hospital, I heard a voice call our names from the elevators. I turned and smiled when I saw a girl and a nurse walking towards us, the girl holding onto an IV stand. She was obviously in her early teens, and a scarf covered her head. I began walking over, smiling warmly at the girl. "Ciao, bella. Come ti chiami?" I asked kindly. "Rosalie." She replied, her voice shaking a little. Harry came up beside me and she beamed, getting a little teary. "Who's your friend, love?" Harry asked, smiling at Rosalie. "This is Rosalie, Harry." I said, gesturing towards the giddy girl in front of us. Harry bent down and hugged her, and she hugged him back as tightly as she could. "Ascolto le tue canzoni ogni giorno. Faccio le infermiere riprodurli quando faccio la mia chemio. Mi fa sentire meglio." Rosalie said tearfully, smiling up at Harry. Harry looked at me, obviously needed a translator. I giggled and rubbed my stomach, smiling at Rosalie. "She said she listens to your music every day. It makes doing chemo a little easier. Sei molto coraggiosa, Rosalie. Sapevate che Rosalie è in realtà uno dei nomi che sto considerando per nostra figlia?" Rosalie grinned and shook her head, a few tears falling down her face. "Sapevo che era una ragazza! Oh, la prego di chiamare Rosalie. Mi piacerebbe tanto." I smiled and nodded, moving forward to hug her. "Anna, love, we have to go." Harry said, rubbing my back. I pulled my phone from my purse and handed it to the nurse, who had been watching all of this with a smile on her face. "Si può prendere una foto di noi?" The nurse nodded and we both hugged Rosalie close, smiling widely. She hugged both of us goodbye, the smile on her face forever burned in my mind. "Thank you." She said in a shaky voice.

Later that day we met Harry's parents in a small restaurant near the city center, ready to tell them the latest news about their future grandchild. Anne and Robin had hugged me carefully when we walked in, asking over and over how I was feeling and were both very keen to know how the tour was going so far. I could tell that they were trying to steer clear of wedding talk, but it was still on their minds. "We're still getting married, Anne." I laughed, eating my salad. Anne blushed a little and laughed, taking a sip of her wine. "Well when you never call Gemma back about dress shopping, what is a woman supposed to think?" My eyes widened and I groaned slightly. "Oh god, I thought I called her! I blame the baby brain." I said, pinching Harry slightly when he laughed. "So, we've been battling over baby names for a few days and we wanted your input." Harry said, grinning at me. "Do you two like Isabella or Marisol?" Anne and Robin both said "Isabella" at the same time, making me laugh. "I win, Styles!" I said and Harry groaned in defeat. "What about boy names? Do you have any favorites?" Robin asked. I bit my lip and shook my head, smiling at Harry. Anne caught on first and she gasped, clapping her hands together. "Oh my word, is it a girl?" She said happily. I nodded and she laughed, getting up to hug me. Robin clapped Harry on the back and hugged him tightly, everyone a little teary-eyed. "Oh, a sweet baby girl! I'm so happy for you both!" Anne said, hugging Harry and kissing his cheek. "Thanks, Mum." Harry said, and I smiled when I saw him wipe his eyes quickly. 

We called it an early night that night, knowing that we both had a day of travel the next day. I crawled in next to Harry, wearing just a pair of cotton boyshorts. "You have a good shower?" I murmured, kissing Harry's cheek. He nodded, scooting closer to me and automatically resting a hand on my belly. I snickered at his expression when the baby kicked against his hand. He had barely kept his hands off my belly this entire trip, desperate to feel our baby girl moving around inside me. "Is she usually this active at night?" He asked, sliding down to watch my stomach. "This is nothing. She's like a damn gymnast sometimes." I laughed, patting my bump affectionately. Harry chuckled, wrapping an arm around my stomach and leaning forward. "Hey, sweetie. You awake?" I let out a shocked giggle when she actually kicked towards the sound of his voice. "It's Daddy. I just wanted to say hi. Now, what we're gonna talk about stays between you and me. Mummy doesn't have to know about this, okay?" Harry said in a whisper, and I tried to hold back my laughter. "I just want you to know, that men are bad. But, you're allowed to have one man in your life, and that's me. You get one man, and it's Daddy. I know that might sound a little unfair, but I'm only thinking about what's best for you. I love you, Princess. You go on to sleep now, yeah? Be nice to Mummy and go to sleep, sweet girl." Harry mumbled against my skin, kissing my belly gently. I sniffed, smiling and running a hand through his hair. "You're gonna be a great dad. But you do know that she's eventually gonna date, right?" Harry shook his head, still hugging my stomach. "Absolutely not. She can date when she's married." I rolled my eyes good-naturedly, laying back against the pillows. "So, is my belly the pillow for tonight or can we cuddle?" I teased, and Harry smirked as he scooted back up the bed, pulling me back against his chest. His arm draped protectively over my stomach as he pressed his lips to my shoulder, my eyes beginning to flutter. I wanted to drag out our last night together, but I was fighting a losing battle. "Love you, Harry." I mumbled, and I felt Harry smile against my skin. "Love you forever, Anna."

\-----

Early the next morning, Harry and I stood in the quiet airport, saying goodbye to each other. It was bittersweet because this was the last time I would be allowed to travel to see him before the baby was born. "Have they said anything about being able to come home near my due date?" I asked, playing with the hair curling gently around his shoulders. Harry shook his head, frowning. "No, not yet. I'm really trying sweetheart, I promise." He said, and I smiled sympathetically. "I know, babe. Don't worry. You'll come through, you always do. Just think, the next time you're home, you'll be a daddy." I said, and Harry grinned happily. "I can't wait, Princess. I love you so much." Harry pulled me as close as my protruding belly would allow and kissed me firmly, holding me like he never wanted to let go. I fisted my hands in his hair, sadness welling up in my chest. I knew we were in the home stretch, but it still hurt to have to say goodbye again. When we broke apart, he looked down at my stomach, smiling. "Not much longer now, sweetie. I can't wait to finally have you here with us." Harry said, rubbing my belly gently. I watched him, my heart feeling so incredibly full. 

"Anna?"

We both looked up, and my face fell when I saw Teddy standing there. "It's time to go." He said, and I nodded, looking up at Harry. "Be safe. Call me if there's any trouble at all with this Josh idiot, and I'll try to be home before your due date, I really will. I love you, Anna." Harry said, and I nodded, kissing him softly. "I love you more, Harry." 

I walked with Teddy through the terminal, trying to discreetly wipe at my eyes, and smiling with embarrassment when Teddy handed me a tissue from his pocket. "Thanks, Teddy. Sorry for being such a mess." Teddy shook his head, dismissing my apology. "Don't worry, Anna. My wife is the same every time I have to leave for a while as well." I felt a pang of guilt for dragging Teddy away from his wife and son all the time, and apparently, it was visible on my face because Teddy squeezed my shoulder reassuringly. "You and Harry are like family. Don't ever feel bad for having me around so much." He said as we began to board the plane. I gave him a small side hug, smiling at him. Teddy stowed our things in the overhead compartments as I buckled in, laying a hand on my stomach. "You're almost here, my love. I can't wait to finally meet you. There are so many people ready to see you and love you." I thought to myself, looking down at my balloon belly with love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, my lovelies! I hope you enjoyed this chapter - feel free to leave some feedback/kudos below, I read and respond to them all! Also, make sure you bookmark this story so you get notified whenever I update! Love y'all! - H xx
> 
> P.S. Her name is not going to be Darcy, this is not every Wattpad fic ever written. That is all.
> 
> Translations if you need them:
> 
> Nurse: Hi, what can I do for you two?  
> Anna: I have an appointment for an ultrasound with Dr. Pappalardo.  
> Nurse: You will be in Room 3309, and Dr. Pappalardo will be there in just a minute.
> 
> Calcio = soccer
> 
> Anna: Hello, beautiful. What's your name?  
> Rosalie: I listen to your songs every day. I make the nurses play them when I do my chemo. It makes me feel better.  
> Anna: You're very courageous, Rosalie. Did you know that Rosalie is actually one of the names I'm considering for our daughter?  
> Rosalie: I knew it was a girl! Oh, please call her Rosalie. I would love it so much.  
> Anna: Can you take a picture of us?


	18. Chapter 18

"You're a squirmy little lady today, aren't you?" I said softly to my stomach as I walked out of the school, smiling to myself. "You must be almost done cooking, huh? Just be patient a little while longer, sweet baby. I'm ready to meet you too, but if you could wait until Mummy starts her maternity leave, I would really appreciate it." I chuckled, pushing open the doors to the school and walking into the employee parking lot. I saw Teddy and Ross standing beside my car and waved cheerfully to them but faltered when I saw Ross point at something over my shoulder and jump back into the car while Teddy ran towards me. I turned around and my eyes widened in horror when I saw Josh Kennedy standing behind me, watching me with large eyes. I wanted to run in the opposite direction, I wanted to screech, but I was frozen in fear. "Finally." He whispered, reaching out and grabbing my stomach. His hands were only on me for a moment though - he was quickly tackled to the ground by Teddy, a yell of pain exiting his mouth. "Get off me! Get the fuck off me, fucking wanker!" Josh screamed, his face wild. "You're ruining it! You're ruining everything! That's my baby, let me see my baby!" My mouth dropped open at his words, spat from his mouth at terrifying volumes. "This is not your baby! This is mine and Harry's child!" I said in a shaking voice, holding my stomach. "Anna, we need to get you out of here." Ross said in my ear, grabbing me and leading me forcefully towards the car. I turned my head to glance at the pair of them, and a flash of fear ran through me. "When did Teddy start carrying a gun!?" I shrieked, horrified by the sight of Josh restrained on the ground with a zip-tie, and Teddy with a knee in Josh's back and a gun pointed at him. "The entire security team did, ma'am. Once this wacko started to follow you a little more we got the go-ahead from Mr. Styles to start packing heat." Ross said, helping me into the car. "That's all well and good that my fiancé is suddenly pro-gun but this is a primary school! There are children in the aftercare room! Tell him to put that shit away!!" I yelled, pointing out the door of the car. Ross looked back at Teddy who sighed, holstering his gun but putting a firm hand on Josh's head, nearly grinding him into the ground. Ross hopped into the driver's seat and we sped off, passing some wailing police cars on the way home. "Teddy will direct the police to take a statement from you at a later date. The last thing you need right now is stress." Ross said and I didn't respond, watching silently as London sped past us in a rainy blur.

\-----

"SHE WAS WHAT!?"

I cringed at the sound of Harry's voice roaring through Ross' phone as Ross held the phone away from his now probably shattered ear. "Give me the phone." I said, exasperated. Ross handed it to me with the same trepidation he would use while handling a live bomb. "Harry, it's Anna. Do not raise your voice to me, I've had a long ass day. I am fine, Baby Girl is fine, we are FINE." I said firmly, plopping down on the couch. "You were attacked. That's what Ross just told me. That your crazy stalker attacked you outside your school." Harry said, obviously trying to keep himself under control. "He's grossly overexaggerating. Josh waited for me outside the school, that was creepy enough. He did grab my stomach but-" I was immediately cut off by Harry yelling, "So he basically attacked my daughter then!?". I sighed, leaning back against the couch cushions. "Harry, he's insane. Like, clinically insane. He was screaming about how my baby is his, how it belongs to him. The police committed him to a psych ward for a 72-hour evaluation. After that, he's going to jail on charges of attempted assault and stalking. He's never going to touch me or our baby again." I said, trying to calm down Harry. "I should be there. I should have been there to protect you, Anna." Harry said quietly, anger simmering in his voice. "Harry, if you were home, you wouldn't be at my school watching me like a hawk. You would be at the recording studio or in rehearsals or in meetings with your record company. You know that as well as I do. Please, Harry, don't beat yourself up over this. You're away from home doing your job, and I'm at home doing mine and so are your security team. I start my maternity leave in two days, and things will quiet down by then, okay? Please don't start burning down the Earth to get back to London just because you're feeling guilty for no reason. If I needed you to come home, I would tell you. This is nothing that I can't handle." I said, and Harry let out a sigh of defeat. "I'm sorry for going so ballistic, baby. I just worry about you when I'm not there, especially now. You understand that, right?" Harry said in a much calmer voice, and I felt myself relax a little. "I know, Haz. It's understandable. Just try and remember that I got this, yeah?" I said, smiling when I heard Harry chuckle. "I know, love. You're a superhero. Listen, I have to go but I'll call you tomorrow, okay? I love you - both of you." Harry said, and I felt my heart clench a little, just as it did every time we said this little goodbye. "We love you too, Harry. So much."

\-----

I was pretty sad to be spending my 25th birthday with just myself, Sage, and my sweet little girl kicking my belly every 10 minutes. I had officially started my maternity leave a few days ago since our baby girl could come any day now. This, of course, meant that traveling was absolutely out of the question. Harry had tried to come home to see me, but luck wasn't on our side this time. I was laying in our bed watching Netflix when suddenly, my phone exploded with texts from my friends. "You have to look online" "Get on Twitter NOW x" "If you don't check Twitter right fucking now, I'll die xx" The last one was from Sophia, and I laughed before quickly opening my laptop and logging on. There were three trending topics about me: 

#HappyBirthdayMom #HarryIsDaddy #HazzahLives, along with thousands of tweets, photos, and videos. Before I could read any of them, I got a message from Liam with a video attachment. "Love, watch this. Happy birthday xxx"

I opened the message quickly and pressed play, and almost immediately started crying. Liam had taken a video of Harry onstage talking to the crowd. "So today is my fiancée Anna's birthday. She is 25 years old today, and I wish I could be there with her, but sadly I can't. She's due very soon and she's spending the day with her friends, our cat, and the little nudge. So as a birthday present, I want all of you to sing happy birthday with us to her. Liam's recording all of this for her. Ready? On three...one, two, three!" The whole stadium sang a loud, raucous happy birthday, and tears spilled down my cheeks. I never expected something like this.

When the song had finished, Harry put down his mic and walked right up to the camera, smiling at it. "Happy birthday, Princess. I love you, I love our little one, and I'll see you soon. I miss you beautiful."

The video stopped, and I set my phone down, crying softly. I thought I was going to be all alone for the rest of my birthday, but no - Harry had figured out a way to celebrate with me, even when he was over a thousand miles away. I waited another hour before I called, wanting to make sure they were on the bus. Harry picked up on the second ring, and I could hear the smile in his voice. "Hello, birthday girl." I giggled and laid back in our bed, smiling. "You are the most wonderful man in the entire world, Harry. Thank you so much." I said, turning down the lights. "You're more than welcome, baby. I just wish I could be there. Actually, it should have gotten there already, I'm just not sure how you haven't found it yet!" He laughed. I sat up, a little curious. "Harry, what are you talking about? If you sent me a fucking stripper, I swear to God..." Harry burst out laughing and I couldn't help but laugh a little too. "Absolutely not. I'm sorry if you're already in bed, but I need you to go look in the music room." I put on my slippers and walked through the house, just in a sports bra and workout shorts and my little robe. "Harry, what in the world are you OH MY GOD, WHAT THE HELL!" I gasped as I turned on the light.

There were balloons on the piano, gorgeous lilies, and several gift bags. "Harry, how did you do this?" I could practically see the shit eating grin on his face as I sat down at the piano. "Just open them, baby. God, I wish I could see your face right now." I grinned and hung up, balancing the phone on the music stand and FaceTiming Harry. He answered, frowning at me. "You could have warned me." He said grumpily, and I giggled, sticking my tongue out at him. "Oh hush, let me have some fun." I picked up a red bag and looked at the card, grinning. "Aww, are some of these from the boys?" I said, tearing up a little. "Oh shit, is she opening them?" I heard Niall say. The boys rushed into the frame and started clapping and whistling when they saw me half naked. "I think it might be MY birthday!" Louis said, grinning like a cat. Harry smacked his shoulder and I laughed, taking the tissue paper out from the bag. "Okay, this is from Liam...aw, Liam this is so cute!" I gushed, pulling out a Wonder Woman t-shirt fit for baby. "There's more. Oh, there's more." Liam said, rubbing his hands together. I looked back into the bag and immediately held it closed, looking at the screen and flushing red. "Sophia is a fucking traitor." Liam laughed madly and I covered my eyes, shaking my head. "What's in it?" Harry said, leaning forward as if it would help him see into the bag. I reached into the bag and pulled out a dark blue scrap of lace, exactly like the pair of panties Harry had ruined the night we got engaged, holding it up and looking down at the piano keys. I heard wolf whistles and applause, and groaned, glancing back into the bag. "Liam, there's no bra." I said, looking at the screen. "Oh, I know. And so does Soph." My eyes widened and so did Harry's, and he leaned over to hug Liam tightly. "Thank you. Thank you, man." Harry said gratefully. I rolled my eyes and put the bag back down on the ground, looking at the boys. "Okay. Are any of your gifts sexually explicit?" All three remaining boys raised their hands and my eyes widened. "Seriously? Guys, how in the world did you get this stuff here?" They all answered at once, "Sophia."

I shook my head and started opening the rest of the gifts, getting progressively more embarrassed. Niall gave me a pack of "Fundies", or underwear for two people to wear at once. Sophia was the most tasteful and simply gave me a gift certificate to Victoria's Secret, but with explicit instructions that I had to bring Harry along. I opened Louis' gift and my eyes widened. "Louis William Tomlinson," I said, never looking away from the bag. I was past the point of embarrassment by now. "There is a sex toy in here. The kind that is made for a girl and controlled by a separate remote. Where in God's name is the remote." I said, looking up at my phone. I saw Louis grin and hand a tiny box to Harry, who started laughing and hugging Louis. I groaned and set the bag down, looking at the last two bags. "Open the little one first!" Harry said, grinning excitedly. I giggled at his expression and opened the bag, pulling out a small box. I opened it up and covered my mouth, smiling. "Harry, it's so beautiful!" I said, smiling brightly at him. "What is it? Harry kept all his presents secret, the bastard." Niall said, looking closer at the box. I showed them the teardrop sapphire and diamond pendant that Harry had given me, and they all nodded their heads, impressed. "I was assuming that Claire is going to be born in September like the doctor said." Harry said, shrugging. I gasped and grinned at him, feeling like I could cry. "It's her birthstone! Oh my gosh, I love you so much. And good try, but we're not naming her Claire." I laughed, setting the box down carefully. I opened up the other bag and looked at the screen, ecstatic. "You didn't." Harry grinned and nodded and I laughed with glee, pulling out the giant turtle pillow pet. I could see the other boys looking at Harry strangely and I laughed. "Look, it doesn't take a lot to make me happy. This is the coolest fucking thing on the planet, really."

There was a box on the side of the piano and I pulled it into my lap, eyebrows raised as I unwrapped it. "Haz, what is this and should I be worried?" Harry grinned and shook his head, looking like a little kid on Christmas. "Nope, you'll love it. The next time we have 10 minutes alone, you're wearing what's in that box. Only what's in the box, no exceptions or add-ons. I giggled and opened the lid, but the laugh disappeared instantly when I saw a pair of red-soled Louboutins in the box and a set of silky black thigh-high stockings. I looked up at the screen, my eyes wide. "Harold, you kinky bastard." I grinned, laughing. The boys started begging to see what was inside and I shook my head, putting the lid back on. "Nope, Harry's dirty secrets are mine and mine alone."

\-----

It happened with almost no warning at all. One week before my due date, the contractions started. The first day, I brushed them off as Braxton-Hicks contractions and when they stopped I just assumed I was right. The second day, they were a little stronger and I started to take them a little more seriously. I waited a little while and timed them, just to make sure that they were the real deal. And lo and behold, I was in labor. I called Genny, my good friend who was also my midwife, and told her to meet me at the hospital because it was time. Next, I called Teddy to tell him to come and bring me to the hospital. And lastly, I called Harry. The boys were due to arrive in Los Angeles today to prepare for their show tomorrow. Our little girl had waited until her father was 6,000 miles away to make her way into the world. She's definitely a Styles.

Harry answered after only one ring, thankfully. "Hey, Princess!" He said happily. "Harry, what are you doing right now?" I asked, trying to keep my breathing even. "We just got to the hotel, we're going to rehearsal in a bit. Why, love? What's up?" Harry asked. "It's time, Harry." I said, getting up and trying to move around to ease the contractions. The line was silent for a moment, and then Harry spoke again. "Seriously? Like, TIME time?" I rolled my eyes, opening the door to wait for Teddy. "No, this is just a drill and I've been timing my contractions for the last hour as practice. Harry, I am in fucking labor and you need to haul ass back to London!" I yelled into the phone. "I'm calling a car right now, I'll be there faster than you can blink love, I promise. I'm headed to the airport. Just hold on, Anna." Teddy's car pulled up and I locked the door, pulling my wrap tighter around me and waddling down the steps into the cold fall air. Teddy helped me with my things and when I told him I was in labor, he loaded me into the car and took off towards the hospital at top speed. "I love you, baby, I love you so much. I'll be there soon. Just take deep breaths, stay calm, and relax. Don't stress yourself out, just remember that everything is going to go smoothly." Harry said reassuringly. I nodded, breathing in and out slowly. "I love you, Harry. Please, hurry baby." I heard choruses of "good luck!" "we can't wait to meet her!" "you can do it, Anna!" "we love you!" from the boys through the speaker and I smiled, laughing a little but groaning when another contraction hit. "The car is here baby, I'm on my way to the airport. It'll take me about 10 and a half hours to get there. That's the fastest we can fly." Harry said, and I could hear him yelling his goodbyes to the boys and a car door slamming. We pulled up to the hospital and Genny was already waiting outside with a wheelchair - God bless that woman. "I'm at the hospital, Harry. And if this baby is anything like me, I'll be in labor for the next 18 hours. Don't worry." I said, biting my lip as Genny and Teddy helped me into the wheelchair. "Just remember to breathe, relax, and stay calm no matter what. Listen to the doctors, and listen to Genny. I love you, Princess. I'm on my way now." Harry said in his best attempt at a reassuring tone, but I could hear that he was just as nervous as me. "You relax too, Harry. Women have been giving birth for thousands of years. We're always okay." I heard Harry let out a breath and I laughed shakily, smiling. "I love you, baby. Please hurry, and AHHH!" I shouted in surprise and pain as a sharp contraction came out of nowhere. "Breathe, Anna, breathe, it's okay." Harry said soothingly, and I could almost feel him rubbing my back and whispering quietly in my ear. "Harry filled out all the paperwork ahead of time, so we're taking you right to triage and then the delivery ward, Anna." Genny said calmly. "Harry, I fucking love you and your practical head. I gotta go, they have to prep me." I said, clenching my teeth. "I love you, Anna. I'm on my way to you."

\-----

"FUCK! Oh god, why the fuck did I ever let Harry fuck me?! AHH!!" I shrieked. Genny brushed my hair out of my face, feeding me ice chips and squeezing my hands. "It's alright darling. Be as loud as you want, because this will hurt." I looked at her helplessly. I had been in hard labor for almost twelve hours now, and Harry still wasn't here. He had texted me when they landed, but that was an hour ago. I was dilating much faster than I thought I would, and with every centimeter, I grew more and more afraid that Harry wouldn't make it. "Harry said he would be here. He has to be here, Genny. I can't do this without him!" I said, panicking. Genny took both of my hands in hers, smiling at me reassuringly. "He'll be here, Anna. Harry wouldn't miss this for anything; you know that." Another contraction hit me hard and I cried out, gasping. "Goddammit!! Genny, that was a big one!" I moaned, looking over at her. "I know love, you're going to be ready to push soon. You're almost dilated enough." I let my head fall back against the pillows, tears leaking from my eyes. "I'm never letting Harry touch me again! This is hell!!" The door to my room banged open and my head shot up, and I cried even harder when I saw Harry rushing over to my bed, flushed and out of breath. "I'm so sorry baby, the damn driver wouldn't go faster when we hit the inner city so I ended up running here and the bloody nurse at the reception desk wouldn't tell me your room number because you're here under an alias and we're not married yet even though we had everything worked out and" He tried to go on but I grabbed his face, kissing him hard. When we broke apart, I smiled up at him. "You're here. Forget about all of that. You're here now."

Our perfect moment was ruined by another contraction and I yelled out, moaning in pain. "Why the fuck didn't I ask for a goddamn epidural?" I said aloud, cursing myself for listening to my Mamma's baby advice. Genny poked her head out the door and yelled for Dr. Richards to come in. A moment later, she walked in with another nurse behind her, pulling on a pair of latex gloves. "Alright, Anna; are you ready to have a baby?" I nodded, nearly unable to speak. She pulled her stool up between my legs and lifted the blanket. "Okay, the baby is almost crowning! I need you to push as hard as you can on three, ready? One...two...three push!" I shrieked and tightened my grip on Harry's hand, pushing as hard as I possibly could, screaming in agony. "You're doing great Anna, come on love, just a little bit more!" Harry said, smoothing my sweaty hair away from my face. Dr. Richards, Genny, and Harry kept giving me words of encouragement, even though tears were falling down my face from the excruciating pain. Suddenly, over my own cries, something much smaller, but definitely not quiet was heard.

A loud wail.

"Here she is!" The doctor said, holding up our baby for us to see. "She's here, Anna! Our baby girl is here!" Harry said, smiling gleefully and kissing my head over and over. I fell back against the bed, exhausted, sweaty, still crying a little and breathing hard. When Doctor Richards and the nurse put her on my chest and began to clean her, I completely lost it. I was half delirious with pain and exhaustion but it melted away the second her skin touched mine. Seeing her little face for the first time was like being blind and finally getting to see the sun. I knew at that moment that I would never love anything as much as I loved this little girl. They took my baby away to check her over and finish cleaning her, and I looked up at Harry, feeling limp and worn out. "Hi." I said tiredly. Harry laughed and kissed me, holding my face tenderly. "You did so good, baby. You're amazing. I love you so much." I smiled at him. "I love you too."

Harry looked up and I did too, and tears fell down my face again when I saw Genny holding a small bundle of white blankets. "Would you like to hold her, love?" Genny said quietly, smiling. I nodded wordlessly, unable to speak. Genny placed my baby girl in my arms, and I stared at her for a moment. The little face that had been screwed up in a wail a few moments ago had gone silent, mouth opening and closing, staring at Harry and me in wonder. I kissed her forehead gently, my voice choking up. "Hello, baby girl. I'm your mommy." I said, tears spilling onto my face. Harry reached out and brushed one finger across her tiny cheek. I looked up at Harry, and almost lost it when I saw that he was crying too. "She's perfect. And she's real, and ours. She's our baby." Harry said quietly, smiling widely. I laughed and kissed him, smiling. When we broke apart, he gazed at her, completely unable to take his eyes off of her. "What should her name be?" I said quietly. Harry studied her face for a moment, before looking at me and stating very firmly, "Emma." I smiled at him. "Emmie; our little princess." Harry looked at me, grinning. "I was thinking her middle name could be Rose. You know, for the girl we met in Rome." I said, gazing at my little girl then up at him. Harry smiled brightly, kissing me soundly. "Emma Rose Styles. It's perfect." I looked down at Emma, my heart swelling up so much I thought it might burst. "All that time spent arguing over names, and we picked one in less than a minute." I murmured, holding my daughter close to me. Harry laughed softly, placing his hand over mine on Emma's blankets. "I think that's how it's supposed to work. Even if you think you have the perfect name picked out, when you see their face, it's obvious who they are."

I kissed Harry gently before holding out my arms and offering Emma to him. "Do you want to hold your daughter?" I said softly, smiling. Harry nodded, tears falling from his eyes as I set Emma into his arms. "Oh god, she's so tiny...hello, angel. We've been waiting so long for you." Harry said in a choked voice, stroking her little cheek. "I'm always going to take care of you, sweetie. Daddy will always protect you." He murmured, kissing her head and gazing at her.

\-----

We decided to make everyone wait another day before we let people visit Emma and me in the hospital. Harry and I wanted some bonding time with her, just the three of us, and I needed to recover from giving birth. The first visitors we had were Harry's parents, Robin, Gemma, and the boys. My mother was flying in later that week. Anne and Robin and Des were completely in love with their granddaughter, and Anne and Des couldn't stop saying how much she looked like Harry as a baby. Gemma was absolutely smitten with her niece and demanded to have babysitting rights, which Harry and I happily agreed to. "I think she likes you Gem." Harry said, laughing as Gemma rubbed Emma's nose with her own. "Well, I like her." Gemma said, cradling Emma gently. "Thank goodness, I'd be worried if Emma's godmother didn't like her." I said, settling back against the bed. Gemma looked at the both of us, her eyes wide. "Wait, I'm her...really? I'm her godmother?" Harry nodded and walked over, hugging her. "You're my sister, of course you're her godmother." He said, kissing her cheek. Gemma grinned at both of us, small tears in her eyes. "Thanks, you guys."

After Anne, Robin, Desmond, and Gemma had left, the boys arrived. Harry and I sat and talked, laughed, and relaxed with them the rest of the night. They all took turns holding Emma and I smiled softly, realizing while watching the boys that my little girl had three incredibly loving uncles, all of whom were probably going to spoil her rotten. When Liam was holding Emma, I looked at Harry and he nodded, smiling at me. "Lou, Niall, would you guys mind stepping out for a second? Harry and I need to talk to Liam." The boys looked at one another and nodded, filing out quietly. Liam looked at us worriedly, holding Emma carefully. "Is everything okay?" I laughed and nodded, sitting up a little more. "Liam, everything is fine. We just wanted to tell you this one on one, instead of with all the other boys being in here as well." I looked at Harry and he grinned, nodding for me to go on. "You've always been the guy in the band I've been closest with, besides Harry obviously. You're a good man, one of the best I know. Harry and I have talked about it, and we both agree on this. We want you to be Emma's godfather." Liam stared at us, a little dumbstruck, and then his face split into a grin. "Of course! I'm honored, you guys. Thank you." Liam looked down at Emma, smiling. "I'm your godfather! I'm Uncle Liam!" He said quietly, beaming at my little girl.

Niall and Louis left around dinner time, promising that they would visit us soon with food and presents. Sophia arrived a little while later and was absolutely in love with Emma. "Oh my goodness, you're so little! Oh, what a beautiful girl!" She said in awe, holding Emma carefully. Liam sat down next to Sophia and put his arm around her, smiling down at Emma. I looked at Harry, who was sitting on the bed next to me, and saw that he had the same grin on his face. "How much money do you wanna bet that they'll be the next ones to become parents?" I said, poking his side. Harry laughed quietly and nodded, smiling at me. "20 quid says they won't be. I think Liam will want to wait a bit." I rolled my eyes, giggling. "You're on. He'd be a wonderful father, and Soph can't wait to have kids." I looked at Sophia and Liam, who were smiling and making silly faces at Emma, and sighed. "I'm not sure who the parents are here, honestly." I laughed, looking at the two of them. Sophia flushed red and looked at Liam, who was a little pink too. "Don't worry, it's adorable. Anyway, Sophia, did Liam tell you that he's Emma's godfather?" I said. Sophia shook her head, frowning at Liam. "No, he definitely did not tell me that! You're a lucky girl, Emma." She cooed to my little girl. Emma began to kick and whimper, and Sophia tried to rock her slowly and shush her. "Soph, I think she wants her mummy." Liam said, taking Emma from her carefully and placing her in my arms. Sophia blushed deeply and looked down, mumbling an apology. "Hey, Sophia, it's okay. I don't blame you; she's the cutest thing alive in my completely unbiased opinion." Sophia smiled at me gratefully. "Trust me, you're going to be the favorite aunt who spoils her rotten, and I'm going to be the mean mom who actually says no to her." I said, laughing as I quieted Emma. Sophia laughed and got up, hugging me as best as she could with Emma in my arms, then hugging Harry. "We'll come to visit you guys soon, alright?" Liam said, clapping Harry on the back and kissing my forehead.

Later that night, I was drifting in and out of sleep with Emma laying on my chest, when Harry sat on the edge of the hospital bed next to me, handing me his phone. I looked at the screen and gasped softly, looking up at Harry. "I love it. It's beautiful."

We had decided to announce the birth ourselves instead of some website catching wind of it, and he had posted a photo that Anne had taken of me holding Emma, with Harry sitting beside me on the hospital bed. We were both smiling down at Emma and cooing at her, completely in love. Even though I had her securely in my arms, Harry still had one hand cradling her head. Harry had written below the photo, "My girls. Emma Rose Styles 28.09.15 xx"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, my lovelies! I hope you enjoyed this chapter - feel free to leave some kudos/feedback down below, I read and respond to them all! Also, make sure you bookmark this story so you get notified whenever I update! Love y'all! - H xx


	19. Chapter 19

"She loves her." I said, standing in the kitchen of our flat with Harry, watching my Mamma sit on the couch with Emma and whisper to her quietly. "We'll never get rid of her now. We gave her a granddaughter." Harry groaned. I whacked Harry's chest, glaring at him. "That's my mother, Styles!" Harry laughed and kissed my forehead, pulling me against him. "You know I'm joking. I love your mum, even though she's a little bit pazzo, and doesn't like speaking English." I grinned and kissed Harry, smiling when he successfully spoke Italian. "She loves you too, even though you're British and like to speak English. She does appreciate your efforts to speak Italian, no matter how broken it is." I giggle, pecking Harry lightly to get the annoyed expression off his face. I saw Mamma come into the kitchen, cradling Emma. "Lei è così bella, il mio amore." She said in a tearful voice, smiling down at her tiny granddaughter. "Non ho mai pensato che sarei così felice, Mamma." I said truthfully, looking at my little girl. "You did good, love." Harry said quietly, kissing my hair. Mamma looked at Harry and I then gave Harry a hard look. "I did not like you." We both looked at her in shock, a mixture of surprise that she was speaking English, and anger at her rude words. "Mamma!" I said reproachfully. "Bambina, per favore. Harry, I did not think you were a good man for my bambina. But you have shown me I am wrong. Anna's papa ran. She did not know her papa. Emma will. I know you will be a good papa to Emma. You have given to me a beautiful granddaughter and a happy daughter. And for that, I like you." Harry grinned and breathed a sigh of relief, and I buried my face in his chest, hugging him. I had been waiting so long for my mother to finally accept Harry's and my love, and Emma had done it for us. Emma began to stir and whimper in Mamma's arms and I went to take her, but Harry beat me there. "You relax, love. Talk with your mum. I've got this one." Harry said, kissing my forehead. As he walked out, cradling our tiny daughter gently in his arms, I could hear him talking to her quietly. "Alright little miss, that's enough fussing, hush now. Daddy's got you, Emmie."

"He is a good man. He loves your little girl." Mamma said in a content voice. I smiled, nodding. "People don't give him enough credit. Emma has him completely wrapped around her finger, but people don't see that." I said quietly, sitting on one of the barstools. "One of my coworkers spoke to me before I went on maternity leave, and she cautioned me against making Emma's last name Styles. She didn't want Harry to have any kind of legal hold on her in case he ended up leaving us. I'm not kidding Mamma, I almost slapped that woman. Harry is a better man than any I've met and an even better father. He'd never hurt us like that." I said, my voice shaking with anger. Mamma rubbed my back and I calmed down a little, my shoulders slumping. "Do not let the opinions of others make you lose sleep, mi amor. Harry loves you the way I hoped a man someday would. And he loves the child that the both of you made. I am not afraid of Harry leaving you, and you should also have no fears. Ha un buon cuore."

Emma's wail roused me out of my half-asleep state and I groaned when I saw the clock read 3:45 am. I was exhausted but felt blessed that I had gotten even an hour of sleep. I moved to push the covers off of myself when I was pushed back down gently by Harry. "You got her the last two times love, please sleep." He said, kissing my forehead before getting up and walking over to the little bassinet, lifting Emma out of it and walking down the dimly lit hallway, humming quietly to her and swaying her gently. I burrowed back under the covers, sleep quickly overtaking me.

After what only felt like five minutes, I heard someone saying whispering my name softly. I opened my eyes blearily to see Harry standing in front of me, a still-crying Emma cradled against his chest. "I'm sorry love, but she's hungry." I groaned and sat up, reaching out for my baby girl. "I swear, she’s a milk monster." I mumbled sleepily, slipping my loose tank top off my shoulders and helping Emma latch on, grimacing at the sensation. A newborn's gumming was the rough equivalent of jumping into a pool of ice water. Harry got back into bed and slid behind me, pulling me against his chest so I was in between his legs, kissing the side of my head. "You're so beautiful, baby girl. So incredibly beautiful. Both of you." He murmured, leaning down to press his lips to my neck. I sighed and turned my head, catching his lips in a soft kiss. Lately, Harry had been taking every opportunity to tell me how much he loved me, and how beautiful and amazing I am. He had been doing this our entire relationship but now, when my body looked nothing like it did 9 months ago, I appreciated it more than ever.

In the chaos of having a child, dealing with the unwanted opinions of the press and social media about Harry's ability to be a present father, and planning a wedding, quiet moments like these were a gift. We made our own little world, hidden away from prying eyes, where we could bond with our little girl and spend stolen minutes of alone time together.

Emma started to slow and I looked down, giggling a little when I saw her tiny sleeping face. "It really doesn't take much to get her back to sleep." I whispered, pulling my tank top up and kissing her forehead. Emma snuggled into the crook of my neck and I felt my heart melt. "See? I told you that you were going to be a good mum." Harry murmured, brushing my messy hair off of my face. "You know I worry about everything, silly man." I said, laughing quietly and relaxing into Harry's chest. Harry wrapped his arms around Emma and I protectively and I let my eyes droop shut, keeping my daughter cradled against my chest while Harry held us both.

\-----

The band's managers had been kind enough to postpone the tour for two weeks so Harry could spend some time with me to help me fully recover from giving birth, and he could take some time to bond with his daughter. After those quiet and comfortable two weeks though, he had to go back on tour to finish out the rest of the dates, as well as the rescheduled dates. I was a more than scared about being alone with my newborn baby girl for a month, to say the least, but I knew I could do it. There would be other times where Harry wouldn't be home, and I would have to take care of her on my own. The day he came home from tour though, was the biggest relief of my life. Emma had been crying for the past hour, completely inconsolable. I had fed her, changed her, and sang every lullaby I could think of. Now I was just walking in circles around the dining room table, trying to get her to fall asleep. When I heard the front door open, a wave of panic swept through me until I heard the keys in the dish over Emma's cries. Harry was home. I walked into the entryway to meet him, and he held back a laugh when he saw how exhausted I looked. Harry walked up to me, taking Emma out of my arms and kissing me gently. "Go take a bath, love. I'll take care of her." I kissed him again, hugging him. "God, I missed you." I murmured, smiling at him gratefully before going upstairs and quickly drawing myself a bath. I sunk into the warm and soapy water, sighing with relief. A short time later, or it could have been a few hours for all I knew, I looked up to see Harry walking into the bathroom. "Room for one more?" He asked cheekily, and I bit my lip, nodding as he pulled his t-shirt off. I always forgot how good he looked after a tour - more muscled and much tanner from his time working out in the stadiums, and even though he was obviously tired, more confidence in his walk. I moved forward so he could slide in behind me, giggling softly when he groaned at the feel of the warm water. "Is she out?" I asked, and Harry nodded, pulling me back against him and dropping kisses onto my neck. I let my head fall back onto his shoulder, smiling when he turned his head to kiss me. "You're a superhero, you know that?" Harry murmured, running his hands across my torso and chest, making me shiver. "I know it couldn't have been easy being all alone with her for such a long time but you did an amazing job. I love you so much." Harry said, and I leaned up, kissing him slowly. "I love you more. Welcome home, babe."

\-----

Even with the tour over, Harry still had obligations to fulfill. Tonight, he had a business dinner with some record company executives and the rest of the boys, and I was invited as well. "Come on...yes!" I smiled as I got my dress zipped up, but my jaw dropped when I saw my reflection in the mirror. "Oh, you are shitting me!" I groaned. "What's wrong?" I heard Harry say from the bedroom. I walked out of the closet, throwing my hands up. "I can't wear this out, Harry. It's a 'formal business dinner'. I mean, look at it!" Harry leaned against the dresser, looking me up and down in an almost predatory way. "What exactly is wrong with it?" He asked, eyebrows raised. I huffed, looking down at the tight-fitting black dress. The fit wasn't the problem, at least in the areas you would assume it would be. "It's not the dress itself, per say. It's..." I gestured towards my chest, where the deep v-neck cut showed off more cleavage than normal. The plunging neckline combined with my fuller chest was a problem to me, but it put a look in Harry's eyes that I knew all too well. "It's this." I said, pointing to my chest and then unconsciously crossing my arms under my breasts, making Harry bite his lip. "I think you look fucking sexy." Harry said in a low voice, making me roll my eyes. "Yep, I'm changing." I said, turning around to walk back into the closet. I was in the doorway when I felt Harry's hands on my hips, beginning to roam. "Baby, if you love me, you'll keep this dress on until I take it off of you tonight." Harry murmured in my ear. I made a small noise of pleasure in the back of my throat, turning in Harry's arms. "You really like it that much?" I said, raising an eyebrow. Harry nodded quickly. "I really, really do." He said in a low voice and I smiled. "Alright babe, just for you." I said, boldly taking his hands and sliding them onto my ass. Harry growled and kissed me hard, making my head spin. "Gotta do hair...shoes...fuck..." I moaned as he moved down to my neck. Harry released me reluctantly and I stood on my tiptoes to whisper in his ear. "Don't worry baby, you can play with me later. My doctor gave me the all clear, and Gemma and Michael are taking Emma for the night." I kissed the spot under his jaw that always made him moan, then walked into the bathroom to fix my hair.

I let my dark hair out of the loose, braided bun I had put it in earlier, smiling as the sexy waves fell around my face. I arranged it on my shoulders carefully and gave it a little dose of hairspray before slipping on my Louboutins, the infamous pair that Harry gave me for my birthday, just before our girl was born. I swiped on a deep red lipstick, making sure every hair was in place before I walked out of the bathroom. I bit my lip at the sight of Harry straightening his tie in the mirror, looking dapper as hell. "God damn boy." I said, grinning. "I'm a lucky girl." I walked forward, giggling as Harry's jaw dropped as he shamelessly looked me up and down. He looked up at the ceiling and whispered "Thank you. Oh god, yes." I rolled my eyes playfully, fixing his collar and his tie. "I really do love seeing you in a suit. It makes me wet as fuck." Harry raised his eyebrows at my bold words, holding my hips tightly. His hand started to creep lower and he slapped my ass hard, making me gasp and then whimper. Harry smirked at me, rubbing the spot. "What about that? Does that make you wet, baby?" I nodded, pressing my body against his. "We better get going. The sooner we get this damn dinner over with, the sooner you can get back here and fucking ruin me."

Harry groaned and pulled himself away, walking down the stairs with me reluctantly. His face brightened though when he saw Emma awake and in Gemma's arms. "Hi, Princess!" Harry said, scooping her up and kissing her head. I smiled and walked over to the fridge, pulling out a small cooler. "This should be enough milk to get her through the night until we pick her up tomorrow. Just remember to put the bottles in the microwave until it's more or less room temperature when you feed her. Also, and I just recently figured this out, patting her belly will calm her down if she won't stop crying. The number of the restaurant where we're gonna be is in the baby bag, and so is the number of her pediatrician. I" Gemma cut me off, laughing. "Anna, please relax. Michael and I can handle her for a night. Go, have fun. Just don't give her a little brother or sister." I blushed and laughed, hugging her. "Thanks again, Gem. Trust me, I don't think we'll be giving her a sibling for a while." I walked over to Harry and lifted Emma out of his arms, holding her gently. "You be good for Aunt Gemma and Uncle Michael, okay? Mummy and Daddy will see you tomorrow. We love you, baby girl." I whispered, kissing her head softly, then handing her back to Gemma and heading out the front door with Harry.

\-----

Dinner was complete agony. Besides listening to record company executives drone on and on about album sales and marketing campaigns, Harry had teased me the whole time. His hands always found their way up my skirt, tracing burning patterns into my skin and making me fidget in my seat. More than once, an executive guy had asked if I was alright, and the boys would try their best not to laugh, knowing full well what Harry was doing to me. "I swear to God, Harry if you don't stop." I said in a threatening whisper. Harry raised his eyebrows, chuckling. "What? What are you gonna do?" He mocked quietly and I smirked, sliding my hand into his lap and grabbing his length through his pants. "You want my mouth anywhere near this tonight? Keep it up, I dare you." Harry swallowed audibly and turned his attention back to the table conversation. I decided to step it up a little - give him some payback for all the teasing. For the rest of the night, I made sure the neckline of my dress was especially low, and I let my hands linger on Harry a little longer than what would be considered appropriate. And, just to drive him over the edge, I acted more flirtatious than necessary towards the record executives. Harry may have been a reserved person, but he was very, very possessive over me. A few times I glanced over at him, and even though his face was calm, his eyes were on fire. 

The drive home was quiet, but the air was heavy with the promise of punishment - a punishment that I couldn't wait to receive. Teasing and torturing Harry was one of my all-time favorite hobbies. When we got back to the house, Harry parked around back and looked at me, his eyes dark. "Go inside. Strip down to nothing but your heels and stockings, and get on the bed. If you're not there by the time I come up, I'll make your punishment ten times worse." He said in a low, dangerous voice. I felt my eyes go wide and I bit my lip, which made Harry groan "fuck it" and grab the back of my neck, pulling me in for a bruising kiss. "Go." He rasped when we broke apart and I grinned getting out of the car and hurrying into the house. Dark Harry had come out to play tonight, and I was ready to be bad.

\-----

I woke up slowly the next morning, groaning at how sore I was. Looking down at my hands, my eyes widened slightly at the angry red marks on my wrists that were rapidly bruising. The fucking handcuffs, I thought to myself, grumbling. I got up slowly, walking into the bathroom and flipping on the light, my mouth dropping at the sight of myself. My hips were covered in purplish bruises, all in the shape of Harry's fingers, and my torso, neck, and chest were littered with flaming red and purple love bites. I didn't even want to look at my ass - I was sure from the soreness radiating from it that it would be decorated with handprints. And just to complete Harry's sadistic little art project, there were actually bite marks on my body. 

"My finest work yet, in my opinion."

Harry's morning voice was fucking sex. It never failed to make heat pool in my lower belly, stoking a fire for him. I looked up as he came into the bathroom, a sleepy smirk on his face. He came up behind me, pulling me against his very warm, soft chest. "Christ, look at you. I really did a number on you, didn't I?" He murmured, pressing his lips gently against the splotches of color on my neck. My eyes began to flutter shut, but I snickered when I turned my head and saw Harry's neck looking just as colorful as mine. "Looks like I left you a few presents too." I said, and Harry looked at himself properly in the mirror, chuckling. "You did indeed, love." He glanced over towards the shower, raising his eyebrows suggestively. "We probably need to wash up before we go pick up the little princess." Harry said, and I smiled, walking over to the glass door and fiddling with the taps so the warm spray would start. "Hop in then, baby. No point in wasting water if we both need to shower." Harry grinned devilishly and hurried in, pinning me against the wall as the warm water began to soak us both. His lips met mine in a feverish kiss, but it soon slowed down. I pulled away and looked into his eyes, and I could see that he didn't want to rush this. He wanted to take his time, and I did too. We didn't get a lot of extended alone time like this, and we probably wouldn't from this point on, so we needed to make the most of it. I lifted myself up, wrapping my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist, keeping eye contact as I lowered myself onto him. I bit my lip as he let out a low groan, his mouth falling open a little. We stayed like that for a moment, letting the water run down our bodies in rivulets, the air around us becoming heavy and still. I leaned forward and kissed his newest tattoo, right in between his 17BLACK tattoo and his swallow - mine and Emma's initials in a small heart. He had gotten it during the last month of the tour, and I was planning on getting a matching one on my hip soon. After a few minutes, staying still became too much to bear, and I began to grind down on Harry slowly, watching his reactions. He put one hand against the shower wall and kept the other arm around my waist and began to thrust up when I went down, keeping things at an agonizingly slow but delicious pace. The build-up to our releases was slow, but I was so much more aware of everything I was feeling. I looked at Harry, and I was hit with so much emotion that I couldn't speak. From the look on his face, I knew he was feeling the same things as me, and I kissed him hard, falling over the edge almost instantly. I felt Harry pull out of me, and release all over my stomach and chest, his breathing heavy and irregular. "I love you." I murmured, my legs still locked around him as I leaned forward to kiss him lightly. Harry smiled, kissing me back and keeping a tight grip on me. "I love you too." I slid down, my legs wobbling a little which made Harry smirk down at me. "Come on, let's wash up. We've got a little lady to go pick up." He said, grabbing the shampoo and beginning to work it into my scalp. I closed my eyes, smiling happily as I thought how incredibly lucky I was to have this life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, my lovelies! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Feel free to leave some kudos/feedback - I read and respond to them all! Also, make sure you bookmark this story to get notified whenever I update! Love y'all! - H xx
> 
> Translations:
> 
> Mom: She is so beautiful, my love.  
> Anna: I never thought I'd be so happy, Mom.  
> Mom: He has a good heart.
> 
> Pazzo = crazy  
> Mi amor = my love  
> Bambina = child (female), but we've always used it as "little girl"


	20. Chapter 20

I smiled at the sight of Nonno, my grandpa, dancing around with little 7-month old Emma in his arms, singing strange little songs to her. "La mia bella ragazza, mia piccola stella!" I laughed and walked over, straightening my skirt. "Nonno, devo mettermi il vestito!" He gave her a sloppy kiss on the cheek before handing her over to me. "Are you ready to see Daddy?" I cooed, sliding Emma into her soft pink sundress and little sandals that her bisnonna had gotten her, and smoothing down her dark little curls. Her dark blue eyes, my eyes, looked up at me curiously and I smiled, kissing her cheeks and picking her up. "Nonna, Nonno, è il momento di andare!" I said, grabbing my tote bag and sunglasses. Mamma's entire family still lived in Italy, specifically in Sicily, and that's where Harry and I had decided to get married. Thankfully my maternity leave lasted through the end of the school year so there were no issues with scheduling for our wedding, so all I had to do was book plane tickets for myself and my little family and fly down to Messina, the town where my family lived. Harry was arriving on the ferry today, and we were picking him up. This would be the first time I've seen Harry in three weeks, and I was excited beyond belief. I knew he had been missing me, but I knew he had missed his little girl even more. I was even happier that he would be home to help with Emma. As much as I loved my daughter, it wasn't easy taking care of her all on my own. I sat in the middle row with Emma on the ride out to the port, singing little songs and telling her stories. When we finally got to the port, I hurried out of the van, removing Emma from her carrier and walking towards the docks. Nonno and Nonna were right behind us, laughing at the way I was acting. I stuck my tongue out at them, pouting. "Siate gentili con me, è il mio fidanzato!"

When the ferry came into view, my heart began to beat faster and I looked at Emma, who looked a little sleepy. "Daddy's here, Emmie! Daddy's coming!" I kissed her nose and she made a spitting noise. I laughed and kissed her cheek, watching as the ferry pulled closer to shore, and the gangway was lowered. I could have sworn my heart stopped when I saw Harry, Anne, Robin, and Des walk off of the boat. Harry saw Emma and I and started jogging over, grinning like a fool. He kissed me when he reached us, holding my waist tightly. "Hi." I said breathlessly when we broke apart. He grinned and kissed me again, talking quietly. "I missed you so fucking much, beautiful." I gasped and slapped his arm lightly. "Harry! You can't talk like that in front of Emma!" Harry smiled and took Emma from me, holding her close and kissing her head. "How's my sweet girl? Daddy missed you, Emmie! I missed you and Mummy!" I smiled at the sight of Harry cuddling Emma, thinking about how incredibly lucky I was to be marrying this man.

Anne and Robin and Des and my grandparents all shook hands, and we started walking back towards the van. Even when Harry's parents wanted to hold their granddaughter, Harry never let go of Emma; when we put her back into her carrier, he still held onto her little hands, cooing at her. I tugged lightly on his hair, giggling. "Welcome to my turf, Curly Top." I said teasingly. He pecked me on the lips, grinning. "It's the British Invasion." I settled back into the seat, smirking. "You can't beat the Italian. By the time we're back in London, you're going to be tan, loud, and have a short temper. It happens to everyone."

When we got back to the house, I could see things weren't going to go as smoothly as I had hoped. Anne's eyes went wide when she looked at my grandparents' home. "Are we staying here?" I cringed internally and heard my Nonna speak in rapid Italian. A bad word or two was thrown in there, and I gasped. "Nonna! È terribile! È mia suocera!" Ann looked at me curiously. "What did she say?" I sighed and slung my tote bag over my shoulder, picking up Emma and handing her off to Harry. "Italians have a lot of pride, and some of us get easily offended. The house has been in Nonno's family for generations, and they love it." Anne flushed, embarrassed. "I didn't mean any offense towards her. I just meant that it looks a bit small and there are so many of us coming." I smiled gently. "I know you didn't. She's from a different generation and a different kind of family. Don't worry, Nonno is driving you and Robin to your hotel in town later tonight. I just wanted to have you guys here to meet everyone for a little while." As we walked into the house, the hustle and bustle hit us full force. "Things are slightly crazy around here..." I said, groaning internally.

\-----

The doorbell rang and I rushed to answer it, leaving my Mamma and Nonna in the kitchen with the pasta and wiping my hands on my apron. I opened the door and squealed when I saw Sophia and Liam standing there. "I thought you guys wouldn't be here till tonight!" I said happily, hugging them. Sophia laughed and hugged me back, dropping her bags. "We managed to get an earlier flight! Damn mama, you look like a model!" Sophia said, looking me up and down and grinning. I stared at her, eyebrows raised. "You are blind but a great liar." I laughed, smiling and kissing her cheek. "Come on, get inside. My Mamma will lose her shit when she sees you. And Nonna will feed you, fair warning." Liam laughed, setting their bags down beside the door. "I don't care about that, I want to see my niece!" He said, smiling widely. I laughed and walked into the living room where Harry was playing with Emma. "May I?" I said, smiling and lifting Emma out of his lap. Harry pouted but smiled when he saw Sophia and Liam. "Go ahead, I know they missed her." He sighed, feigning unhappiness. I handed her to Sophia, and she smiled brightly at Emma, holding her carefully. "Hi, pretty girl! I missed you, Emmie! I missed you so much!" Sophia said happily, while Liam stood behind her and made silly faces at the tiny girl in her arms.

Over the rest of the day, people came in and out of the house, most of them fawning over myself ("All grown up with a daughter, and getting married!" "So beautiful") and Emma ("What an angel!" "Oh she looks just like her mamma!"). My bridal party had pretty much assembled at the house by midday, and in the couple hours after that, Harry's boys started arriving. Watching my bridesmaids, his groomsmen and the rest of our friends argue over who got to hold Emma was pretty damn funny. Liam never really wanted to let go of her, despite pleas from Niall and Louis to let them hold the little bug. I looked over at Sophia at one point, and raised my eyebrows, smiling. "He's daddy material and you know it." I said, grinning as Liam made Emma smile and giggle with his stupid faces. Sophia smiled and gazed at the two of them, her face dreamy. "Yeah, I know. He'd be a perfect father." She said softly, and I put my hand on her back, rubbing it gently. "One day. I know it, babe." I said, smiling at her. Emma's fussy wails reached my ears and I whipped my head around, laughing a little when I saw Liam trying to calm her, his face worried. He looked up at me helplessly and I tried not to laugh, lifting Emma up into my arms. "She's hungry." I said simply. Liam blushed red and looked at Emma, then my chest, then my face. "I-I'm..um..." I laughed and bounced her a little, shaking my head. "Liam, you don't have to be embarrassed. Your mom did it, mine did, and of course, I'm gonna do it." I said, kissing Liam's cheek before walking back into the old nursery with my fussy little girl, sitting in our rocking chair. "Alright, time to settle down now, little bird."

A short while later, I was rocking back and forth, humming and cradling Emma gently. I heard the door click open and I looked up, smiling when I saw Harry walk in. "Your mum said you'd be in here." He murmured, walking over. "I'm still amazed by the fact you can feed her with your tits." He said, smirking. "If I didn't have a baby in my arms, I'd smack you." I whispered, rolling my eyes at him. "No, I mean it's incredible. I wish I had something like that to give her." Harry said softly, kneeling down next to us. I ran a hand through his curls, smiling gently. "You do. You're her daddy. Her superhero. For the next 18 or so years, you're going to be the number one man in her life. And even after that, when she finds her own Superman, you're still going to be her hero." I smiled at Harry, pulling him forward to kiss him gently. I heard a tiny gurgle below us and looked down, snorting when I saw Emma detaching herself from me, her little face sleepy and dazed. "Someone is milk drunk." Harry said, rubbing her tummy gently. I laughed and let Harry take her from my arms as I refastened my bra and pulled on my shirt, smiling as he started to burp her with practiced ease. Harry was a superstar, but he had filled the role of doting, dedicated dad perfectly. Emma really had the best daddy in the world.

\-----

After the rehearsal dinner was over and our family and friends had gone back to their hotels, and I had finally changed into some comfortable clothes, I was walking around my grandparents' house looking for Harry and Emma. "Mamma? Nonna?" I called out. When no one answered, I went into the kitchen. My cousin, Alessandra, was sitting at the large table playing with her phone and I walked over. "Al, have you seen Mamma or Nonna?" Alessandra shook her head, never looking up from her phone. I frowned and placed my hands on my hips. "Well, do you know where Harry and Emma are?" Alessandra looked up and smiled, and pointed to the living room. I walked in and covered my mouth, smiling widely. Harry had fallen asleep on the couch, still in his clothes from the rehearsal dinner, and Emma was sleeping soundly on his chest, right over his heart. I walked over and picked her up gently, rocking her and carrying her back to the makeshift nursery. She barely even stirred as I changed her into a onesie, and placed her into the old crib. "Sleep well, mia piccola stella. I love you." I turned on the tiny lamp in the corner and walked back to the living room. Harry was sitting up on the couch now, fully awake. He smiled at me and I walked over, sitting down on his lap and kissing his cheek. "The little monkey is asleep." I whispered, kissing his neck. He groaned and gripped my thigh, holding me against him. "I wonder if you could make me feel so good that I forget how to speak English. I know you love hearing me speak Italian." I said, nipping his earlobe. "Mi vuoi? Vuoi scoparmi su questo divano? Voglio che tu lo fai così male, Harry. Chiunque potesse camminare, ma non mi importa. Fatemi urlare il tuo nome. Prendi me, Harry." I said the last few words as a moan, and Harry growled, picking me up and carrying us back to our room, throwing me on the bed and locking the door. I bit my lip as he stalked toward me, his eyes dark. "No English. If you talk, you speak Italian." He said in a dangerously low voice, undoing his tie and throwing it across the room. I nodded, willing to do anything he said at this point. Harry tugged hurriedly at my shirt, unhooking my bra with practiced ease. He began sucking on different spots on my chest and I moaned quietly, trying to wiggle out of my shorts. He moved off of me and pulled my shorts off, flinging them somewhere in the room.

"You need to take some clothes off too!" I said, tugging at Harry's shirt, and I gasped when he grabbed my hair, pulling me close to his face. "What did I say about speaking?" Harry said in a rough voice. I swallowed and whispered, "È necessario prendere alcuni vestiti troppo." I began pulling the buttons on his shirt apart, and Harry helped by shoving his pants off. Harry pushed me back down onto the bed, and his lips hovered above mine for a moment.

"Bambina?"

I froze, looking at the door. "Mamma? Che c'è?"

"Emma sta piangendo. È necessario non aver sentito. È Harry in là, Bambina? Anna, conosci le regole!" I heard my mom say indignantly from behind the door. I sighed, pushing Harry off of me and slipping into my robe. I threw Harry's clothes at him, frowning. "They're extremely traditional. The bride isn't allowed to see the groom from the night before the wedding until he sees her walk down the aisle." Harry groaned, pulling his pants on. "I can't see your beautiful face all day?" I laughed and kissed him softly. "You'll be very happy when you see me tomorrow. Trust me." Harry pulled on his dress shirt and kissed me again, smiling. "Annalisa!"

I pulled away from Harry, opening the door. Emma's cries hit me full force now and I rushed into the nursery. "Emma, hush baby, it's alright. Mommy's here, I'm here." I whispered, picking her up and bouncing her up and down gently in my arms. "Tranquillo ora, piccola. Mamma è qui, mamma ti ama. Sonno, Emma." I started humming quietly, patting her back gently. "If you be my star, I'll be your sky - you can hide underneath me and come out at night." I saw Harry standing in the doorway and I smiled at him. "When I turn jet black and you show off your light, I live to let you shine...I live to let you shine." I sang quietly, soothing Emma back into a sleepy lull. Harry walked over to me, and I handed Emma to him, kissing him on the cheek. "You got this one, Mr. Styles?" He nodded, grinning at me. "I'll get the little monkey back to bed. You get some rest, Mrs. Styles." I kissed him, giggling quietly. "Still a Gagliano for now, baby." I said, walking out of the room. I turned around and peeked inside, and felt my heart swell. Harry was sitting in the rocking chair, holding Emma in his arms, singing quietly to her. "I know a girl, she puts the color inside of my world. But she's just like a maze, where all of the walls all continually change. Fathers, be good to your daughters, and daughters will love like you do. Girls become lovers who turn into mothers, so mothers be good to your daughters too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, my lovelies! I hope you enjoyed this chapter - feel free to leave some kudos/feedback, I read and respond to them all! Also, make sure you bookmark this story to get notified whenever I update! Love y'all! - H xx
> 
> \---
> 
> Translations:
> 
> Nonno: My beautiful girl! My little star!  
> Anna: Grandpa, I have to put her dress on!  
> Anna: Grandma, Grandpa, it's time to go!
> 
> Anna: Be kind to me, it's my boyfriend! (the word for boyfriend and fiance are basically interchangeable)
> 
> Anna: Grandma! That's terrible! She is my mother in law!
> 
> Anna: Do you want me? Do you want to fuck me on this couch? I want you to do it so badly, Harry. Anyone could walk in, but I don't care. Make me scream your name. Take me, Harry.
> 
> Anna: Mom? What's up?  
> Mom: Emma is crying, you must have not heard. Is Harry in there, Bambina? Anna, you know the rules!  
> Anna: Quiet now, little one. Mamma is here. Mamma loves you. Sleep, Emma.
> 
> Bisnonna = great-grandmother


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suggestion: Listen to "I Get To Love You" by Ruelle during this chapter - it's the first dance. xx
> 
> Translations:
> 
> Anna: Soon, sweet girl. You will meet your prince.
> 
> Anna: Is she still awake?
> 
> Aunt Francesca: She woke up and ate a bottle, and would not go back to sleep. I think she just wants her mom.

After a long drive north in the car with my mom and my Nonna, we reached the hotel that our guests would be staying at and where we were having our reception and the private stretch of beach that we were holding our wedding on. I couldn't believe that the day was finally here. I was really going to marry the love of my life, my soulmate, my everything. We had signed the papers from Britain that morning in front of my maid of honor and a court magistrate, so we were now technically legally married - we just had to celebrate it. The day passed in a flurry of spa treatments, hair, and makeup with my bridal party and my mom. There was no shortage of laughter and teasing from my friends since I was giggling with excitement the whole time. They didn't blame me though - I was about to marry my best friend, of course, I was going to be excited. Soon, it was time for all of us to get dressed. Abi, my maid of honor, helped me into my dress, straightening out the small train and zipping up the back, and my mother fixed my veil onto my head. When I saw that her eyes were filled with tears, mine did the same. "No, Mamma, don't cry, please." I said, hugging her. "You are beautiful, bambina." She wept, hugging me tightly.

We pulled up to the beach access point, and I could see the delicate floral arrangements lining the path towards where our guests had gathered. I took a deep breath and stepped out of the car, holding tightly to Nonno's arm, smiling at him. We walked slowly down the path, and once we were within view of the wedding party Alessandra started playing the bridal march on her violin, and the guests turned to watch us make our way down the aisle. I looked towards the altar, and my heart leaped when I saw Harry there, looking as handsome as ever. He saw me and broke into a smile, one almost as bright as the sun. Harry wiped at his eyes and I almost lost it, my face breaking into a smile. He was wearing a slightly unbuttoned white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and tan dress pants, but like the rest of us, he was barefoot. On the beach, there was no need for shoes; the sand was so soft underneath your feet and pleasantly warm.

We reached the altar and Nonno turned to me, kissing my forehead. He held my face in his hands, and I saw tears brimming in his eyes. "Ti amo, Annalisa." I sniffed and hugged him tightly, before turning to Harry and taking his outstretched hand. His smile was nearly blinding, and it made my heart skip a beat. "Hello, beautiful." Harry said, taking in the sight of me in my dress, his smile getting bigger by the second. I giggled as I handed my bouquet off to Abi and we both turned to face the priest, ready to take the biggest step of our lives. "Welcome everyone. Harry and Annalisa have chosen you, those special and important to them, to witness and celebrate the beginning of their life together. Today, as they join in marriage, they also create a new bond and a new sense of family - one that will undoubtedly include all who are present today." The priest said, addressing our guests and smiling at Harry and I. "The bride and groom have chosen to write their own vows, which they will recite to each other now." The priest stepped back and gestured for me to go on.

I turned to Harry, taking his hands in mine. I looked up at him and thought I might cry before I even started. "I had something thoughtful and heartfelt written weeks before this, but it doesn't compare to what I feel right now, so I'm gonna go with that." I said, making our guests laugh and Harry grin at me. "Harry, I love you. I say it every day but I mean it more and more with each day that I get to spend with you. Every day that I get to wake up beside you is the best day of my life because I know that my best friend is by my side and I get to spend the rest of my years on this Earth trying to be the best person I can possibly be for you. In the short time that we've been together, you have shown me more love than I ever thought someone would. Your support and encouragement are endless, and I can never thank you enough for believing in me. You make me feel like the most beautiful woman alive just by looking at me, you made me feel at home in a place where I had no one, and you gave me the most precious gift in the whole world - our beautiful baby girl." Emma chose this moment to squeal loudly from her spot on Mamma's lap and the entire crowd, including Harry and I, burst into laughter. When we calmed down, I was still giggling, but I was beginning to shake with emotion. "You have given me unconditional love and support from day one, and I promise you that I will love you with my whole heart, until my very last breath." I finished, my voice wavering as small tears sprang up in my eyes. Harry pulled me forward, kissing my forehead gently. He pulled back, but didn't let go of me, and launched into his own vows.

"Annalisa...I...Christ, I forgot mine so I'll just go for it." Harry said, and I laughed loudly. "I never thought I would find someone like you - someone who accepts who I am and loves me for it, someone who supports me no matter what, someone who understands me better than anyone. You have given me more than I ever could have asked for and more than I ever thought I deserved. You turned a house into a home, you brought me out of my shell and encouraged me to be the best version of myself, and you loved me through all the struggles and trials that being with me put you through. You've made me a better man than I ever thought I could be. But most of all, you loved me enough to give me the greatest gift of my life - you made me a father. Seeing the way you love and care for our girl makes me love both of you more than I ever thought possible. I'll be honest Anna, I didn't fall in love with you at first sight, but I've had the time of my life falling in love with you and I can't wait to spend the rest of it falling deeper in love with you."

I didn't realize I was crying until Harry wiped the tears from my cheek, smiling at me. I hugged him tightly, whispering that I loved him. We looked at the priest, who was smiling at the both of us. "Perfectly spoken. Now, my children, Do you both pledge to share your lives openly with one another, and to speak the truth in love? Do you promise to honor and tenderly care for one another, cherish and encourage each other, stand together, through sorrows and joys, hardships and triumphs for all the days of your lives?" Harry and I nodded, speaking at the same time. "We do." The priest nodded and motioned Niall to come forward with the rings. Niall handed them to each of us, and I giggled a little when I saw that he was holding back tears. "May these rings be blessed as a symbol of your union. Now, Harry, repeat after me." The priest instructed and Harry looked into my eyes, speaking seriously. "I, Harry Edward, promise to love and support you, Annalisa Elisabetta, and live each day with kindness, understanding, truth, humor, and passion. With this ring, I thee wed." He said, slipping the sparkling diamond band onto my left hand.

The priest smiled and then turned to face me. "Now, Annalisa, repeat after me." I looked at Harry, and with as much love and conviction as I could muster, I said, "I, Annalisa Elisabetta, promise to love and support you, Harry Edward, and live each day with kindness, understanding, truth, humor, and passion. With this ring, I thee wed." I said, my voice starting to shake a little as I slid Harry's platinum wedding ring onto his hand. The priest smiled at the both of us. "Go now in peace and love, and may you feel this happiness for the rest of your lives, now united. It is my great pleasure to pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." He said, and Harry grabbed me, dipping me back and kissing me enthusiastically. I kissed him back, smiling and dimly aware of the cheers and laughter from our friends and family. We broke apart and I took my bouquet from Abi, who was laughing and shaking her head at us, and started walking back down the aisle with Harry and towards the car that would take us to the resort for our pictures and reception. When we halfway up the path to the road I looked at Harry at the same time that he looked at me, and we both burst into joyous laughter. Harry picked me up in a hug, swinging me around while I laughed gleefully. "We did it! We did it, baby!!" I laughed, kissing him over and over, practically drunk on happiness.

After all the photos had been taken, Harry and I were sitting at our table, entertaining Emma as she sat on my lap drinking a bottle, and listening to Abi and Niall give their speeches to our guests; they were just as embarrassing and heartfelt as I thought they would be. Before our first dance, one of my aunts took Emma upstairs to put her to bed and watch her until we came up. Harry stood up and offered me his hand, making me laugh loudly as he led me onto the dance floor. Harry spun me out before pulling me to him, swaying gently as the notes of our song drifted through the speakers. The first time I had heard this song, I knew I had to have it as my first dance. I was 20 when I listened to it for the first time, and it gave me a whole new perspective on how I needed to view love, and what love should be. That being with your partner and loving them should be considered a privilege, one that you treasure for your entire life, and that love should change you as a person for the better. I showed it to Harry a few weeks before the wedding and he agreed with me - we had to use it for our first dance. I looked up at Harry, feeling myself melt at the look he was giving me. "What?" I asked, blushing. Harry grinned, leaning down to kiss me. "You look so beautiful. I can't believe you're real." He murmured when we broke apart, making me blush even more. "I pictured this, you know. When I caught the bouquet at Ellie's wedding. I thought about how it would feel to be in a dress like that, dancing with the man I'd spend the rest of my life with. I'm glad it's you, baby." I said honestly, and I thought my heart might burst from the smile on his face. There have only been a few moments in our relationship where I can remember feeling myself falling in love with Harry. The first one was the night he spent at my house before Ellie and Josh's wedding. The second was the first week I lived in London, and he spent practically every minute trying to make me feel like the city was home. The third was the first time he held our little girl, and I knew that at that moment he would have given his life if it meant that she would be safe. And the fourth was tonight, seeing his face when I walked down the aisle and watching as he promised to spend his life falling in love with me. I leaned up to kiss him, hearing our guests aww and clap. "I love you, Harry Styles." "I love you so much, Annalisa Styles."

Even though we were a modern family, Harry and I still decided to follow most of the typical wedding traditions. Harry danced with my mother who seemed to be falling under Harry's charms just like me, and I cried when Des both took me for a spin around the dance floor in the place of my own father, and again when Robin stepped in halfway through to finish our dance. "I'm honored to be able to call you my daughter." They had both told me. Harry just smiled at us, mouthing "Thanks, Dad" across the dance floor. When my mother finished dancing with Harry, she had come over, her face glowing. "You taught him Italiano, mia amor! We spoke in Italian during our entire dance!" I stared at Harry, who had a shit eating grin on his face. "I did nothing, Mamma. That was all Harry." I said, laughing. Mamma looked over at Harry and then whispered to me conspiratorially. "Keep him, love. He is a treasure." I snickered, hugging her. "I guess it's a good thing I married him then." Harry and I cut the first slice of cake and fed each other, both of us cackling when I got icing all over Harry's face. My bridesmaids had sat me in a chair in the middle of the dance floor, and I had covered my bright red face as Harry disappeared under my dress and emerged with my garter belt between his teeth, a devilish grin on his face. He shot it into the crowd, straight into Liam's face. I laughed loudly watching him blush then lean over and kiss Sophia on the cheek, who was also blushing. When it was my turn, I turned to face away from the cluster of women gathering excitedly behind me and tossed my bouquet high into the air. I heard screams of delight, and turned around, squealing and laughing when I saw that my 15-year-old cousin Alessandra had caught my bouquet. She was looking at it in shock and laughing nervously, and I walked forward to hug her. "Presto, ragazza dolce. Incontrerai il tuo principe."

After hours of dancing and posing for photos, Harry and I managed to escape. We walked to the elevators of the resort, slumping back against the elevator wall once we were inside and looking at each other, smiling. "Hi, you." Harry said, and I giggled. "We really just did that." I said, linking my fingers with his. Harry lifted our joined hands and kissed my knuckles, paying special attention to the finger where my wedding band now sat. "We just did that." He affirmed, wrapping an arm around my shoulder as we reached our floor. I waved at Teddy, who was standing guard outside our door - we weren't taking chances with Emma being in a hotel room without us, and there wasn't anyone I trusted more than Teddy except for Harry to protect our baby. Teddy hugged us when he saw us, murmuring his congratulations. I squeezed his hand before walking into the room, trying not to laugh when I saw my Aunt Francesca bouncing a sleepy-eyed Emma. "È ancora sveglia?" I asked, walking over and taking her and beginning to bounce her gently in my arms. Aunt Francesca rolled her eyes, chuckling. "Si svegliò e mangiò una bottiglia, e non tornava a dormire. Penso che voglia solo sua madre." I sighed, hugging her goodnight before she left and beginning to walk around the room with my girl, whispering to her. I felt warm, familiar hands on my back, and turned my head to see my husband looking just as tired as I felt. "You need some help?" He asked, settling his hands on my waist and kissing my neck. I bit my lip, trying not to moan as I shook my head. "If you could help me get this dress off, you'd be my savior." I said, groaning a little at Harry's smirk. "Starting early, are we?" I rolled my eyes at him, snickering. "No, idiot. I can't get it off myself without disturbing this little nugget." Harry began undoing the zipper on the back of my dress and I did my best to sing quietly to Emma without shuddering from the feeling of Harry's fingers on my bare skin. I heard Harry let out a quiet groan when he saw that I wasn't wearing a bra, only a very sheer and lacy pair of cheekies. I maneuvered my arms out of the cap sleeves of my dress, being careful not to wake up Emma, and let the dress fall at my feet. Harry positively moaned when he saw me standing there in just my skimpy lace panties and heels. "Will you put her to bed while I hang this up?" I said, looking down at my dress. Harry nodded, pecking me lightly before taking Emma out of my arms, humming softly as he set her down in her little baby box. I hung my dress up carefully in the closet, smiling at the soft white fabric. For a few wonderful hours, I had felt like a complete queen, dancing with my new husband like no one was watching. I shut the door and walked back in, leaning against the doorframe and giggling slightly at the sight of Harry lying on our bed. He propped himself up with his forearms, cursing quietly when I walked towards him. "Jesus Christ, I am the luckiest man alive." He said, running his hands up my legs as I stood in front of him. "Yes, yes you are." I joked, stroking his head. "Emma is sleeping through the night now, you know." I said, and Harry's thumbs hooked in the waistband of my panties. "Hmm, really? And this is important, why?" I smirked, lifting my legs slightly to straddle him on the bed so his face was now eye-level with my breasts. "Because we haven't fucked as husband and wife yet, and she won't wake up till the morning." I said, looking down at him mischievously. Harry growled and leaned forward, capturing one of my nipples between his teeth and pulling it back lightly, making me gasp. "Well then, Mrs. Styles, I think you better lose these then." He said, snapping my panties against my hips. "I like the way you think, Mr. Styles." I grinned, pushing him down against the bed as we began to start off our life as husband and wife in one of our favorite ways.

\-----

Harry and I had given a lot of thought to where we were going to take our honeymoon, our first vacation as husband and wife. We thought about an island retreat for a while but decided to spend two weeks in Paris instead. Standing on the balcony of our hotel room in a soft hotel robe, breathing in the crisp morning air, I knew we had made the right choice. The sun was barely breaking over the Seine, and I could see the Eiffel Tower in the distance. "You're up early." I heard Harry say before he slid his arms around me from behind, pressing a kiss to the side of my head. "I like to watch the sunrise sometimes, especially when the view is this beautiful." I said, looking down at the gorgeous buildings and little streets. "I can think of a better view." Harry said in his slow morning voice. I turned around to see him gazing down at me, and I blushed. "You're ridiculous." I said, making him grin. "Yeah, and you're beautiful. And you're finally my wife." Harry kissed me before I could say anything else, and I let myself melt into him. I didn't consider that there could be people down below that might recognize us, or that we were standing in early daylight in just robes - I was blissfully in love with the most amazing man on the face of the Earth, and I had many, many years of loving him ahead of me. And I couldn't wait to get started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, my lovelies! I hope you enjoyed this chapter - feel free to leave some kudos/feedback down below, I read and respond to them all! Subscribe to me if you want to get notified when I update my stories! Love y'all! - H xx


	22. Chapter 22

I watched Harry lift Emma up into the hair, her dark brown curls falling around her face while her squeals filled the living room. "Daddy!!" She giggled and Harry held her close, kissing her all over her face. She was almost 3 now, and the absolute light of Harry's and my lives. It wasn't easy the first year of her life, with the band going nowhere but up, and yet Harry had managed to be a wonderful father the entire way. There was no shortage of roadblocks for us, though. Tabloids finding every possible angle to turn Harry's female friendships into something more than they really were, people around me questioning Harry's ability to be a parent without being home all the time - some people even went so far as to say that Emma wasn't Harry's daughter, because she had my dark blue eyes and not Harry's green ones. But when you saw her curls, her dimples, and her silly smile, there was no denying that this little girl was a Styles through and through.

I walked over and wrapped my arms around Harry's waist from behind, making faces at my girl over his shoulder. Emma giggled and reached out to pat my cheek. "Mummy's funny!" I grinned and came around so that she was sandwiched between Harry and me, kissing her cheek. "You're funnier, little monkey. Why don't you go pull out your blocks in the playroom? Daddy and Mummy need to talk for a minute." Emma nodded and I kissed the top of her head, letting Harry set her down and watching her patter off towards her playroom. "What's up?" Harry said, coming forward and placing his hands on my waist. I looked up at him and smiled, resting my hands on his chest. I could barely believe that 7 years ago, I was a college student aiming to be a teacher and agreeing to be a bridesmaid in my friend's wedding. Now, I had been married to the man of my dreams for almost 3 years, and we have a beautiful daughter. "Remember how we were over at Liam and Sophia's the other day, and you kept saying how cute Em was with Noah?" I said, tracing circles on Harry's chest and smiling as I remembered how fascinated Emma had been with Liam and Sophia's newborn son. Harry grinned and nodded, laughing a little. "She couldn't stay away from him! I kept telling Liam we're going to end up as in-laws one day." I looked at the playroom door and back at Harry, biting my lip. "I know, they were precious. But it got me thinking, do you think she'd be good with a little brother or sister?" Harry shrugged and nodded. "Hell, the age difference wouldn't really be a problem right now, and she loved Noah to pieces. Are you thinking...do you want to try for another?" Harry said, his face hopeful. I smiled, my face flushing a little as I looked up at him. "Harry, we don't need to try." I said quietly. Harry stared at me for a moment, and then his face broke into a grin. "You're kidding me. You are?" I giggled and nodded, smiling. "I am. 8 weeks, according to the doctor." Harry cheered and kissed me hard, picking me up and spinning me around. "I love you. I love you so fucking much." Harry said in between kisses, holding me tightly. I ran my fingers through his curls, kissing him back and sighing happily. 

"Should we go tell Emma?" Harry said, and I smiled when one of the hands he had on my hip slid across to rest on my belly. "Yeah, no sense in putting it off." I agreed, leaning up to kiss him again before heading off to the playroom, his hand holding mine tightly. I laughed when I saw Emma sitting on the floor, arranging her stuffed animals around her block buildings. "What are you making, sweetie?" I said, sitting down next to her and kissing her head. "The zoo!" Emma said cheerfully and I made an exaggerated face of understanding like it was all so clear now. "Ohhh, I see! You're so good at building, baby girl. Emma, would you like someone to build with you? Maybe a little brother or sister?" I said, and I felt Harry place his hand on my shoulder reassuringly. "Sister?" Emma said, looking up curiously from her blocks. I nodded, pulling her into my lap. "Yeah, sweetie. You're going to have a baby sister or a baby brother in a few months, it's in Mummy's belly right now." Harry said, pointing to my stomach. Emma looked at my stomach and then both of us, still quiet. "Do I gotta share my blocks?" Emma asked with a straight face. I tried to not laugh, but it was made harder from Harry's snickering. "Well, you would be a great big sister if you shared your blocks, but you don't have to if you don't want to." Emma nodded, clearly thinking this over. "I don't wanna share blocks, but I wanna share teddies." Emma said, pointing to her stuffed animal friends, all of whom were called "Teddies". I breathed a sigh of relief, looking at Harry who had the same expression on his face. "Our family is getting bigger." I said, smiling down at Emma and setting her back on the floor so she could finish building her zoo. "I can't wait, love." Harry said, pulling me against his side and kissing my forehead, his hand resting on my stomach.

A few hours later, I had started dinner and was looking for Emma, and was shocked when the sound of her crying echoed through the upstairs. "Emma?" I said, walking through the house. The crying came from her room and I went inside, finding her laying at the end of her bed, holding her favorite stuffed animal - a little lion that Niall had gotten her. "Emmie, what's wrong sweetie? What happened?" I said worriedly, coming over and picking her up. Emma continued to cry into my shoulder and I sighed, rubbing her back and whispering gently to her. I knew there was no way to talk to her while she was like this, so I just had to wait for her to calm down. Eventually, her tears slowed, and I looked her in the eye, brushing her little bangs away from her face. "Now, do you want to tell me what's going on, Emmie?" I said softly, and Emma's lower lip began to wobble again. "Emma, use your big girl words. Tell Mummy what happened." I said firmly. Emma sniffed loudly, wiping at her face with her little hands. "I'm gonna have a sister." She said, and I nodded. "Yes, or a brother, but not for a while. Why are you crying about that, honey?" I said, sitting on the bed with her on my lap. "I gotta g-go away." She said, and she looked like she was on the verge of tears again. I stared at her for a second and then it dawned on me exactly what was wrong with her. I had seen her friend react the exact same way when he found out he was getting a little sister. "Oh Emmy, no. No, no, no, sweet girl, you aren't going anywhere. Just because Mummy and Daddy are having another baby doesn't mean that we don't love you. You know that, right?" I said, and Emma was quiet except for her occasional sniffs and hiccups. "We could never stop loving you, baby girl. You're our first baby, and that makes you so special. But since you're the first baby, that means you have a very big job to do." I said, and Emma looked up at me with big, watery eyes, a little curious. "You have to teach your little brother or sister how to be a Styles. They're going to look up to you for everything. You'll be a teacher, like Mummy. What do you think of that?" I said, and Emma nodded slowly, her lower lip still sticking out. "It's okay." She said, and I smiled. "You're going to be such a good big sister, Emmy. They're going to love you, and I know you're going to love them." I kissed her head, giving her a big hug. "Are you hungry, sweet girl? Ready for some dinner?" Emma nodded and slid off my lap, hurrying towards the stairs. I got up slowly, sighing and following her. This could be a tough seven months.

\-----

"Emma Rose, you need to be a big girl and get in the car. We don't want to make Aunt Gemma wait for us, do we?" I said to my teary-eyed two-year-old, who was currently sitting on the front step and refusing to come down. "Emma, baby, what is the matter? Why don't you want to get in the car, love?" I said, trying to be sympathetic, even though I was now five months along and still nauseous as hell, just like I had been with my daughter. And, because it was my second baby, I was already showing pretty well, especially in the tank top and maxi skirt that I was wearing that day. "I don't wanna go in the car! It's scary!" Emma said, the tears starting up again. I sighed, picking her up as she continued to cry. "I'm sorry that you think the car is scary, love. But it's only a short drive, and then we'll be eating eggs with Aunt Gemma! And she has an early birthday present for you too, did you know that?" Emma perked up at this, but still sniffed and whimpered as I buckled her into her car seat. "That's my girl. We'll only be in here for a few minutes, and you'll see that it's not so scary riding in the car." I had no idea that I would regret those words for years to come.

Everything hurt. My whole body throbbed with pain, and the world was fuzzy. Sounds were muted and everything looked blurry. Things began to come back into focus slowly, and I took in my surroundings. I was in my car, upside down. It had flipped. I heard people’s dulled shouting outside the car, trying to open the door. There was a loud wailing in the backseat and I glanced up at the cracked rearview to see Emma in her car seat, her face red and streaked with tears from the uncomfortable position the crash had left her in. “Mummy!!” She screamed, reaching out for me. “It’s okay baby.” I said in a dazed voice. I heard distant sirens, and a few moments later, the door was wrenched open. “Don’t worry miss, we’re going to help you.” I heard a man say, and I felt my seatbelt being cut off of me. “Oh fucking hell, she’s pregnant.” Another man said, but then noticed my daughter in the backseat. “Please, help her.” I said weakly. I was lifted out of the car and loaded onto a stretcher as the firefighters clawed at my mangled car doors to get inside of it and get Emma out. I looked beyond my car and saw the one that had hit us, the front end completely destroyed. The firefighters brought over Emma, who was screaming loudly and crying out for me. I opened my arms and held her, tears falling down my own face when I saw the cuts on her face and arms, and the slight bend in her leg that told me something was really wrong with my girl. “You’re okay, baby girl. Mummy’s got you, you’re okay. I’m here, Emmy.” I said shakily, rubbing her back in what I hoped were soothing circles. We were quickly loaded into an ambulance and the EMTs began assessing us as we sped off to the hospital.

We had only been in the Emergency Room for a little over an hour when Harry came in, worry written all over his face. I scooted up in bed a little, trying not to wake Emma, who was finally sound asleep. “Oh thank Christ, you’re okay.” He said in a broken voice, coming over to me with tear-filled eyes. Harry hugged me gently but firmly, kissing my head over and over. “Is the baby okay?” Harry asked, his hand coming to rest on my bump. I nodded, trying not to tear up at the sense of relief that was washing over me now that Harry was here. “Completely fine, by some miracle.” I whispered, smiling softly when Harry kissed me. “The other one though, not so much.” I said, gesturing to the little girl who was curled up against me. Harry kneeled down and brushed her hair out of her eyes, kissing her forehead. “What’s the splint for?” He said, his hand laid over her protectively. “Her leg is broken. She was screaming so much that the doctors gave her a morphine drip, and then an anesthetic so that they can set her leg and put it in a splint without her fidgeting or yelling. They said she might need surgery.” Harry wiped at his eyes, looking down at Emma’s still face. “I told the police to stay out until you were feeling okay. Do you remember anything that happened?” I closed my eyes and leaned my head back, trying to make sense of the blurred images in my mind. “Sort of. The doctors said I have a concussion so nothing is really clear right now. I remember driving into the intersection after the light turned green, then nothing until I woke up.” Harry let out a huge puff of air, sitting next to me on the edge of the bed and pulling me close as he kissed my head. "He was on his phone. Sending a text that didn't matter, and he ran a red light and hit your car, making it flip through the intersection, and the impact destroyed his car. Now he has two broken legs, broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a ruptured liver. If I had my way, he'd be dead. He almost took the three most important things in my life from me." Harry said, his voice becoming a little choked up. I rubbed his hand with mine, leaning my shoulder on his. "He'll have consequences to face, physical and legal. But we're alive, all three of us. We're okay, Harry. Focus on that, baby." I whispered, reaching down to brush Emma's hair off of her forehead, caressing her cheek. "She's going to be fine, I'm going to be fine, and the baby is going to be fine." I said softly, closing my eyes and finally relaxing when Harry pulled me against his side, tucking my head against his chest. 

\-----

I flicked another page in my book, looking up briefly to see Emma and Harry drawing with chalk on the patio. I smiled and settled back in my chair, rubbing my bump softly. Emma was so excited to meet her new baby brother, and even though Harry had been hoping for another little girl ("Just as perfect as her mum and big sister"), the smile on his face when we found out it was a boy was priceless. We only had a few weeks left before our baby boy made his way into the world, and thankfully the band had decided to take a "year-long break", which would supposedly give us some time to bond as a family. Only the boys, management, and their families knew that the band had parted ways to pursue their own careers. I knew Harry missed performing for people around the world with his best friends at his side, but when he saw how excited Emma was to have him home every day, his attitude changed completely. She adored her daddy and loved it when he picked her up from nursery school instead of me. Plus, he had been able to focus on creating his own music, filled with his own personal sound and style. He had been worried that it was going to make him not be a present father, but I had hushed his concerns, telling him that as long as he was happy and doing what he loved, we were happy.

I heard the doorbell from inside the house and got up before Harry could. "You stay with Emma, I got it, babe." I smiled, walking towards the front door. I opened it to see a tall man standing on the front porch. Confusion washed over me for a second, since he didn't have a delivery uniform on or anything, and Harry had heightened security ever since I got pregnant again - how had this man gotten to the front door? "Can I help you?" I asked politely, looking up at the man. "...Annalisa?" He said in a hushed voice, his London accent sharp. I backed up a little, unsure of the man now. "Yes, what can I do for you, sir?" I repeated, ready to close the door in a second flat. He seemed at a loss for words for a moment, then collected himself. "I'm sorry to come to your house like this...but I've finally gotten the nerve to come face to face with my mistakes." He said, taking a deep breath before speaking again. "My name is Richard Shepard. I'm your father."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, my lovelies! I hope you enjoyed this chapter - feel free to leave some feedback/kudos below, I read and respond to them all! If you want to get notified whenever I update my stories, subscribe to me! Love y'all! - H xx


	23. Chapter 23

I stared at the man standing at my front door, my mouth hanging open a little as I tried to process what he had just said. "I'm sorry, what?" Richard smiled gently at me. "You have your mother's smile, but I always had a feeling that you would end up looking like me." I realized with a pang of horror that he and I shared the same sprinkling of freckles on our faces and the same dark blue eyes. This man could very well be my real father. "How did you...I mean, what do you...why are you here?" I stammered. Richard sighed, looking down slightly. "I've wanted to do this for years, but I never knew how. I know I'll never be able to make up for all the years I wasn't in your life, but if you'd give me a chance, I'd like to get to know my daughter." I opened my mouth to speak but I was cut off by a squeal behind me. "Mummy! Daddy's chasing me!!" Emma shrieked, running up to me and hiding behind my legs. Richard stared down at her, and I ran my hand through her curls. "Well, go chase him back, little lion!" I laughed, pushing her towards the open back door. She sped off, and I could hear her roar in her tiny voice as Harry yelled in mock fear. I always had to fight back the urge to chastise her for running so fast - it was a reflex after the car accident required her to have an operation to fix her broken leg. "You're married. And a mum." Richard said quietly. I nodded, smiling softly. "And another one on the way." I said, my hand resting protectively on my bump. We were both quiet for a moment, unsure of what to say. "I was going to make some tea, would you like to come in for a cup?" Richard hesitated for a moment before walking inside behind me.

I smiled when I saw Harry 'chasing' Emma around the kitchen table - sometimes I wasn't sure who the child was here. "Mummy!" She squealed, running over to me and hugging my legs. I picked her up, kissing her cheeks. "Good job chasing Daddy, he looks so tired!" I laughed, looking at Harry. Harry pushed his hair back, grinning at us. "You wore Daddy out, little love." Harry looked over my shoulder and saw Richard standing awkwardly in the entryway, and immediately moved closer to Emma and I. "Who's this, Anna?" I looked at Richard, a little unsure of what to say. "This is Richard Shepard. Richard, this is my husband, Harry." I said, and Harry stuck his hand out formally. "Nice to meet you." Richard said, shaking his hand, and Harry nodded. "Harry, can you put her down with a movie?" I asked, setting Emma down on the floor. Harry looked at me questioningly but nodded, kissing my forehead and walking out of the room with Emma. Richard followed me into the kitchen and sat at the counter, still quiet. "Is chamomile okay? It's non-caffeinated, my doctor says I can't have any while I'm pregnant." Richard nodded and I put a kettle on, leaning back against the counter. I smiled when I heard Emma's happy laugh and the opening music of Beauty and the Beast coming from the living room. "She's a beautiful girl." Richard said, and I chuckled. "She's perfect. Our friends and family say Emma looks like me, but I think she looks like Harry. She looked just like him when she was born." The kettle began to whistle and I removed it, filling up two mugs and setting the teabags in them. I handed him a mug, and we both sipped in silence for a few moments. "I didn't picture a superstar and his family living somewhere like this." Richard said, and I raised my eyebrows. "You thought we'd live in some massive all-white mansion?" Richard shrugged sheepishly, and I shook my head. "We lived in a really posh flat when Emma was born, but we decided we wanted her to grow up outside of the city. A real house with a yard and room to play, which turned out to be a great decision when this little guy happened." I said, rubbing my belly.

Harry chose this moment to walk in, smiling at me. "Emma's all set for a while. Is there any water left? I'd love a cuppa." Harry said, walking to the stove. Once he had a full mug and was dipping the tea bag, he turned to Richard. "So, how do you know Anna?" Richard was silent. I looked between them, sighing. "Richard says that he's my father." Harry stared at me, then at Richard. "You're her father." Richard nodded and Harry looked at him for a moment before laughing loudly. "Christ, you've got some serious nerve showing up here, mate. After all the shit you did to Anna and her mum?" Harry said, shaking his head and setting down his tea. "You've got five minutes to prove you're actually her father. If you're not, I'm kicking you out of my house. If you are, I'm still kicking you out of my house." Richard looked taken aback but began to speak. "I met your mum when I was studying abroad in Rome. She was a student there from Sicily, and we fell in love. She was absolutely beautiful, probably the most beautiful woman I'd ever met. We spent almost every day together, and it didn't take long for her to get pregnant. I knew that neither of us was ready to be parents, so I told her to get an abortion. She refused and I told her that we were done, that I wasn't going to stay after my study abroad period was over." I covered my mouth, tears filling my eyes. "So it's true. You wanted her to get rid of me." Richard nodded, looking down at his mug. "I did. I'm sorry, Annalisa. Even though it was extremely taboo at the time, abortion seemed like the only option, at least for me. I was young and afraid of being a father." "So was I!" Harry said angrily, rounding on Richard. "Anna told me she was pregnant with Emma, and I was happy, but I was scared out of my mind! We weren't even married yet, and I was about to travel the world for the entirety of her pregnancy, but I didn't tell her to get rid of it!" Richard wiped at his face, and I felt a flash of pity for him. "I knew I wouldn't be a good father, and Elisa would have been a terrible single mother. She was so young and wild." My anger spiked at this and I glared at him. "Excuse me? A terrible mother? Who the hell are you to talk about her that way? You ran out on her and left her with nothing! My mamma worked herself to the bone every single day to provide for me, to feed me and put a roof over my head, and to get us to America. She gave me the best life she could and I thank God every day that I had her as a mother because, in my opinion, there's no better mother on the planet. You don't get to talk about her abilities as a parent when you didn't even try to be one." I finished, giving Richard a dirty look. Richard had tears on his cheeks now, and I felt no remorse for the things I had said. If anything, my words were justice for my mother.

"Why did you even come here?" I said tiredly, looking at Richard. He shook his head, wiping at his face. "I wanted a chance to start over. I've spent my life wondering what you were like, what you grew up to be, where you were. When I heard that you lived in England now, I started looking for you. I know I'm over 20 years late, but I want to be a father, and a grandfather, if you'll let me." I stared at Richard, torn between humoring him and letting Harry throw his ass out the front door. "Did you ever marry another person? Do you have any kids other than me?" Richard shook his head, showing me his ringless hand. "Every woman reminded me of your mother. She was a force of nature, the most beautiful creature I'd ever met. I knew I'd never love another woman after Elisa." I looked over at Harry and blushed when I saw him smirking at me. "Now I know where you get it from." I rolled my eyes and reached out to smack his arm, smiling. "This is what my life is like Richard, since you're so curious. I've been with Harry for 6 years, and we've been married for 3 of those. We have a daughter named Emma Rose, and a baby boy on the way whom we have not yet named. I'm a school teacher in London, I teach Year 4's. I have a life that I never dreamed I would be blessed enough to have." I took a pause before continuing, my voice cautious. "If you want to be involved in my life now, I'm willing to give you a chance. But you have to promise me something." Richard sat up a little straighter, nodding. "You can't just choose when you're in my life. Especially now that you have a granddaughter, and soon, a grandson too. I won't let you hurt my children the way you hurt me." I finished, and Richard nodded eagerly. "I swear, Annalisa, I won't let you down. You either, Harry. All I'm asking for is a chance." I looked at Harry, who still looked a little suspicious. "I don't trust you, but if Anna is willing to give you a chance, I guess I can too." Richard let out a sigh of relief and glanced at me, looking like he wanted to say something. "Annalisa...if you're not fully convinced that I'm your real father, I'm willing to take a paternity test." He said, and I was quiet for a moment, considering his offer. But then, it hit me. "No, I have a better idea."

\-----

I grabbed the door handle, taking a deep breath before opening it to see my smiling mother, a bottle of wine in her hands. "Mia amor! You are getting so big! Nearly time, yes?" She said, coming in and hugging me. I laughed, nodding. "He's only got a few more weeks left in there. Now, Emma is asleep upstairs, and we invited someone else to dinner tonight. I'm telling you this now Mom because I want tonight to be calm and civil. The doctor says I'm supposed to relax, but I think you need this." I said, leading her towards the kitchen and preemptively taking the wine bottle from her hands. We walked into the warm kitchen and I saw the smile melt off of my mom's face when she saw Richard standing there. "Elisa." He said quietly, almost reverently. "You." My mother said, her voice full of venom. She rounded on me, her eyes furious. "Why did you bring him here? Is this a joke? How did you find her?" She said, her voice getting progressively louder as she advanced on Richard. I stepped in between them, my hands up. "Mamma, I am in no way defending the things he said to you or the things he did to you. But there is a sleeping three-year-old upstairs and I swear if either of you wakes her up, you're going to have a very angry, very pregnant woman on your ass." I looked at Richard and Mamma, who were staring at each other silently. "We'll give you two a minute." I said, dragging Harry into the living room. I plopped down onto the couch, and Harry settled himself next to me, pulling my body against his. "Did that go the way you thought it would?" Harry asked quietly, and I chuckled. "No, I actually thought she was going to slap him, and then me. So no physical violence, that's good." I said, sighing and laying my head on his shoulder. I could hear them going back and forth in the kitchen, and I closed my eyes. I knew from the beginning that this wasn't going to go well, but I hoped that they would put their differences aside for me. And if not for me, for their grandchildren. Harry kissed my forehead, rubbing my stomach. "It's okay, love." He said reassuringly, probably able to sense how stressed I was. "Was this a huge mistake? Have I fucked up big time?" I said, looking up at Harry with tired eyes. He shook his head, wrapping his arm tighter around my shoulders. "No, you haven't. We both knew this would be a hard thing to do, but you said it will be worth it in the long run, and I agree. You made a good choice."

Unbelievably, we were able to get through dinner like a bunch of goddamn adults. There was definitely a fair amount of tension, but we were able to hold a steady conversation among us, and there were no nasty words, which in my opinion was nothing short of a miracle. After the meal was over and the table was cleared, my mother announced that she had to get home. I didn't blame her for not wanting coffee or dessert - honestly, I had to give her major credit for making it through an entire dinner with her ex who was also the father of her only child. As I walked her to the door, I began to talk once we were out of earshot of Harry and Richard. "So, what did you and Richard talk about in the kitchen, if I may ask?" I asked, and Mamma sighed, her mouth in a thin line. "He apologized for leaving me so many years ago. He also apologized for abandoning you. He wishes he had been in your childhood to see you become a woman. I told him that we have been just fine by ourselves. Non abbiamo bisogno di lui." She said bitterly. I bit my lip, looking at her nervously. "Mamma, I know you're mad at me for bringing him to dinner, but I really do want him in my life. I want him in Emma's life, and my son's life. I never got to know my father, and as mad as I am at him for never being a present father, I want to give him a chance now." A sad smile appeared on Mamma's face and she reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear. "You have a good heart, mia amor. It is one of the things you get from him." She said, making my eyes water. "I do not like him, but he seems to be very genuine in his desire to be a grandfather to Emma and the new baby and a real father to you, even if he is quite late. You are not a bad judge of character. If you trust him, I will try to give him a chance." I hugged her gratefully, feeling like a massive weight had been lifted off of my shoulders at her words. I bid her goodbye, my heart light as she left the house.

\-----

"What about Charles?" Harry asked, rubbing a knot out of my foot as I braided Emma's hair. "No, no way. I love the Royals as much as the next girl, but Prince Charles is a bit of a tosser. And that rules out George and William, too." Harry sighed and went back to work on my feet and I settled back against the couch, twisting Emma's hair gently. We were coming down to the wire - one month, to be exact. Harry and I were battling back and forth with baby names just like we had done with Emma, unable to settle on anything. Things were a little tense regardless of our son's impending arrival. Harry had been cast in a new war movie and was due to leave for filming just after the baby was born, and had been furious when he found out the filming schedule. He had missed the first two months of Emma's life because of his career, and it was happening again but this time with our son. I had calmed him, reminding him that the first few weeks were the toughest and he was going to be here for all of them. This had placated him a bit, but he was still upset that he would have to be miles from home again, during a time when I would need him desperately. Even though I was dreading doing it by myself, I reassured Harry that I would be fine because I knew he was living his dream, and that was all I had ever wanted for him.

Emma turned in my lap and looked down at my belly, frowning. "Mummy, how long until James gets here?" I raised my eyebrows at her, confused. "Who, Emmie?" Emma pointed at my stomach as if it was obvious. "James. When's he gonna get here, Mummy? Is he done cooking now?" I looked up at Harry and laughed at the smile on his face. "James Edward Styles." I said, testing it out, and the smile on Harry's face could have put the sun to shame. "I think our daughter just picked our son's name." Harry nodded in agreement, coming over and scooping Emma into his lap. "James is almost ready to come out, little love. You'll be a big sister soon, are you excited?" Emma giggled, snuggling against Harry. "Yeah, Daddy! I wanna see my brother!" I let out a small grunt as James rolled over inside of me and kicked against my side, my hand automatically coming up to massage the spot. "He likes your name idea, Emma." I laughed, and Harry's hand shot out to cover my belly, a grin spreading across his face when his son kicked against his hand over and over. It was the thing he had loved most when I was pregnant with Emma - feeling her little feet and hands move inside of me. "We're nearly there." I said softly, smiling at my husband, who looked equally excited as I felt at the impending arrival of our little boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, my lovelies! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, feel free to leave some kudos/feedback below - I read and respond to them all! Also, if you want to get notified whenever I post new chapters, bookmark this story or subscribe to me! Love y'all! - H xx
> 
> Translation:
> 
> Mom: We did not need him.


	24. Chapter 24

"Mummy! Daddy! Wake up! It's snowing!!" 

Emma's excited squeals roused me from my happy sleep as she struggled to climb onto mine and Harry's bed. I chuckled, sitting up to look at her bright smile. Harry had been up all night writing music, so I wasn't surprised that Emma's loud voice hadn't woken him up. "Can we go outside? Please, Mummy, please?" She begged, and I held back a laugh. "You go wait in your room, baby girl. Once I'm dressed I'll come in there and we'll put your warm clothes on. Then we'll eat breakfast, and then we can go play." Emma nodded happily and scurried out of the room, giggling to herself. I sighed, easing myself out of bed and grunting as I felt a dull ache in my lower back. I was two days past my due date, January 6th, and growing more uncomfortable with every second that this little boy decided to stay in my belly. "You're taking your sweet time, aren't you, James?" I mumbled as the ache went away, rubbing my belly absentmindedly.

I quickly pulled on some lined leggings and layered some long sleeve shirts, turning when I heard Harry mumble in his sleep. I smiled and walked over, kissing his forehead gently before padding out of our room and down the hall, chuckling when I saw my little girl digging through her dresser drawers in search of her winter clothes, making quite a mess that I would probably have to clean up later. "I thought I told you to wait, young lady?" I said sternly, and she stared up at me guiltily. "I'm sorry, Mummy. I just wanna go in the snow." She said, and I smiled, reaching into her dresser drawers and pulling out her long pants and thermal shirts and socks and setting them on the bed. Emma was going through a phase where she wanted to be very independent and do things for herself, which was incredibly helpful when I was nine months pregnant and basically unable to bend down and pick things up. Emma quickly dressed and ran giggling out of the room, and I followed her slowly. The aches in my lower back were becoming a little stronger and were starting to spread downwards into my pelvis, and I realized that it wasn't just an achy back. I was having contractions. "You gotta be kidding me...on a snow day? Really, buddy?" I groaned, walking into the kitchen to see Emma sitting in her big girl chair, waiting patiently. "Waffles and bananas this morning, little lady!" I said in a bright voice, trying to mask my discomfort. She nodded gleefully and I set to work in the kitchen, tossing some waffles in the toaster and quickly slicing up half a banana. I put some marmalade on the waffles and set them all on her little cartoon plate, putting it in front of her and letting her dig in. Looking out the window, I could see that Emma wasn't kidding - it was snowing pretty damn hard out there. I quickly brewed some coffee and tea, leaning against the counter and trying to breathe through the pain as I sipped my calming tea.

"DADDY!" I heard Emma yell through a mouthful of banana. I turned to look at saw Harry standing over her, kissing her head before meeting my eyes, walking into the kitchen and leaning down to kiss me. "Good morning, beautiful." He murmured, and I smiled, returning his kiss. "Why didn't you wake me up? I would have helped get her ready." Harry murmured, rubbing my belly as he gazed down at me. "You were up late baby, I wanted to let you sleep a little bit longer." Harry grumbled a little, but he knew I was right. He had been up all night writing new songs, muttering from his little desk in the corner of our room. I vaguely remembered feeling a kiss on my forehead and my stomach around 3 am, when I assumed he had finally climbed into bed. "Today is going to be a very interesting day." I said, taking a sip of my tea as Harry raised an eyebrow at me. "And why is that?" He questioned, and I found myself smiling in spite of the soreness in my pelvis. "I've been having contractions for an hour now." Harry's eyes widened and he looked down at my belly, then back up at my face, a gleeful smile crossing his face. "Are you serious? He's coming?" Harry said, letting out a joyful laugh and kissing me when I nodded my head. "He's coming! Finally!" Harry said happily, leaning down to kiss my belly. Once we both got past the initial excitement, Harry jumped into worried husband mode. "Have you finished packing your bag? Are you hurting too terribly? What can I do for you?" He said, and I smiled at him. "First, calm down. We're prepared this time, Haz. Your bag and my bag and James' bag have been packed for two weeks now, but we'll probably have to adjust a little for the weather. I'm hurting but it's nothing I can't handle, love. But what you can do for me and for your daughter is help us get our snow boots on because she's three and I'm nine months pregnant." I said, chuckling. Harry raised his eyebrows at me and I frowned. "Don't say it, Styles. I might be in labor but that doesn't mean I get to stop being a mom to the child I already birthed. I promise I'll let you know if I have to tap out from building snowmen, okay?" I said defensively and Harry snorted, shaking his head and kissing my temple before pouring himself some coffee. "Get ready, little lion. We're building some snowmen as soon as I'm dressed!" Harry said to Emma as he walked out of the room, making her cheer, and making me roll my eyes good-naturedly.

\-----

I walked around the house, trying to breathe evenly and ease the contractions that were becoming steadier and stronger. Even though Harry was home this time around, our baby still decided to come at an inconvenient time - otherwise known as, the middle of the night. My contractions had been slow and far apart all day, so I thought I had at least until tomorrow, but James was apparently more ready to meet us than we thought. The contractions had sped up right after dinner, and it was now 1am and I was in a ridiculous amount of pain. "Mummy?" I turned around and saw Emma standing at the foot of the stairs, rubbing her eyes and clutching the stuffed octopus her Uncle Louis had gotten her. "Hi baby, why are you awake? Did you have a bad dream?" I said, picking Emma up and trying not to wince. "No, I heard Daddy. He was saying bad words on the phone." She said, yawning and laying her head on my shoulder. I closed my eyes, groaning quietly. Harry appeared at the top of the stairs and from his reaction, I knew he saw the annoyance on my face. "Shit, did I wake her up?" He mouthed, and I nodded, glaring at him. Harry came down the stairs, taking Emma out of my arms and sitting on the couch with her. "Princess, we're going to put you back to bed, but there's going to be a special person here when you wake up." Emma looked at him sleepily, and my heart melted for a moment. "Who, Daddy?" Harry smiled, brushing her little bangs off her forehead. "Well hopefully by tomorrow night, your new baby brother." Emma nodded and yawned, and I knew that she was so close to falling back asleep. Harry began to walk back up the stairs, and I went to the front door when I saw the headlights outside. I opened it, becoming confused when I saw Niall coming up the front path.

"Hi, you. What are you doing here?" I said, kissing his cheek and letting him in. "Haz called me, said little James was on the way and he needed me to watch Emma until Richard could get here." I shut the door behind him, trying not to groan loudly at the growing ache in my lower body. "Wait, what do you mean? Where's Richard?" Harry chose this moment to come down the stairs with my bag and his in hand, and James' under his arm. "He doesn't understand shit about babies, so he didn't know that once you hit 37 weeks, the baby can come at any point no matter if it's early or late. Richard thought that since you're two days past your due date, you were going to get induced at 40 weeks for some reason - that's why he's in Devon with friends." I stared at Harry in disbelief, and he shook his head, his face apologetic. "That's who I was cursing at on the phone, which I'm sorry for, by the way. I didn't mean to wake up Emma." He said, kissing my forehead lightly. I sighed, looking at Niall. "Well, thanks for coming, Ni." I said gratefully. Harry clapped him on the shoulder, bringing him further into the house. "You remember where everything is, right? And I wrote you a list of all the possible stuff that could happen with Emma, but she loves you so I doubt you'll have problems with her." They kept talking and I held onto the banister, trying to breathe through my contractions. My heart stopped though when I felt my sweatpants become wet. "Harry?" I said in a raised voice, trying not to wake up Emma again. "I'm almost done, love. Just grab your shoes okay?" I heard him say, and my panic began to rise. "Harry, my water just broke. We need to go NOW." Never in my life have I seen my husband move so quickly. In a split second, he was back in the entryway, grabbing both our bags and helping me out the door, yelling goodbye to Niall over his shoulder. "Just breathe, babe. We're on our way." He said, trying to reassure me as he helped me get buckled into the car, getting in and driving off into the snowy night.

\-----

"Goddammit, why can we never time this right?" I sobbed, already exhausted from pushing. Upon our arrival at the hospital, we had been taken straight to labor and delivery, being told that I was an hour away from meeting my baby boy. That was their nice way of saying that I was too far along in the labor process for an epidural, something I had very much planned on having for this delivery. "You're doing great, Princess. You're amazing." Harry said encouragingly, wiping my hair away from my face. "Shut the fuck up, Harry. You're not the one who has to push a pumpkin-sized human out of your body through a grapefruit-sized hole with no fucking pain meds!" I growled, and Harry just sighed, kissing my forehead. He knew I didn't mean it, I was just out of my mind with pain and exhaustion. "You're a fucking superhero. He's almost here." He murmured, and I let out a frustrated sob, that turned into a scream when the doctor instructed me to push again. It was never-ending. Emma had come so quick - I had only had to push four times and she was out. James was taking his sweet goddamn time. "Alright Anna, his head is nearly out, you’re almost there!" The doctor said, and I braced myself to push again. "One more big one should do it, okay! Push on three. One, two, three push!" I gritted my teeth and pushed hard, yelling in agony. Suddenly, the pressure disappeared and the doctor lifted our squirming baby boy in the air for us to see, and I watched as he let out a loud, healthy cry. I laid on the bed, sweaty and out of breath, but I burst into tears when they laid my wailing son on my chest for the first time. "Oh my god..." I sobbed, reaching up to touch his little face. Harry kissed my hair, crying as well. They took James away to clean him up, and I looked up at Harry, both of our faces streaked with tears, and mine with sweat. "You're brilliant. So fucking brilliant." Harry murmured and I leaned up to kiss him, still breathing hard. "I love you, baby." I said, leaning back and closing my eyes.

Slowly but surely, strange music filled my ears. I opened my eyes blearily in confusion, trying to see Harry and James, but with a pang of horror, I saw the ceiling of my bungalow bedroom in Durham, North Carolina. I rolled over quickly and silenced the music - my alarm. According to my phone, it was 8:00 am on Monday, May 3rd, 2012. I stared at the date, my eyes widened as the truth hit me like a truck. "No...no, no, no..." I whispered. It had all been a dream. I had dreamt up this perfect fairytale romance with the most unattainable man on the planet, and waking up to realize that it had never happened felt the worst heartbreak I had ever experienced in my life. Tears filled my eyes and my body was wracked with sobs, and I let the sadness wash over me. It had seemed so real, so incredibly real...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned.


	25. Chapter 25

A few hours later I was in the car, taking Ellie to the airport to pick up Josh for their upcoming wedding. She was excited and jabbering away, but I stayed silent. I couldn't stop replaying that dream in my head, every perfect detail of it crystal clear in my mind. I know that you usually can't remember dreams after you wake up, but I couldn't shake this one. It had seemed like real life - like I had finally gotten my happily ever after. I had believed for a split second that maybe, just maybe, my life could be like the fairytales I had loved as a child. Even when we were sat in the airport waiting, I could only bring myself to be half interested in Ellie's stories, my mind a million miles away. "Ellie!" We both heard a man yell and we looked up to see Josh coming over quickly, a smile on his face. Ellie gasped happily and jumped up, running over to him. I sighed, getting up and walking over, opening my mouth to greet Josh but letting out a tiny squeak when I saw One Direction walking up behind him - just like they had in my dream. Ellie smirked when she saw my face, then smiled at the boys. "You guys, this is my friend and my bridesmaid-" "Anna." Harry said, cutting her off. He was staring at me intently like he almost couldn't believe I was standing there - like it was something out of a dream... "I...I'm sorry, have we met?" I said hesitantly, looking up at him, feeling my heart skip a beat. He shook his head, still gazing at me in awe and moving closer to me. "No, I...I don't think so. You just look so familiar." Harry said, smiling softly down at me, making me blush. "Well, let's get going, yeah?" Josh said, clearing his throat and effectively ending the moment. We all started heading towards the parking deck but Harry stayed close to me, not letting me out of his sight.

\-----

Later that evening, the group had all decided to go out to dinner, just a casual rooftop bar and grill kind of deal. We were all sharing stories and laughing, drinking and getting to know one another. I could feel Harry's eyes on me the entire meal, and more than once, I found myself unable to look away from him. I couldn't believe that he was really here, that my dream was happening in some capacity. Of course, I wasn't foolish enough to believe that reality was going to mirror my dreams and that Harry and I would fall hopelessly in love. But the way he was staring at me wasn't helping at all. After we finished our meal, the group began drifting towards the bar and the deck railings, admiring the city views. I sipped my drink, basking in the warm spring night and watching the cars drive through the downtown streets below us. "So, anything you wanna tell me?" I turned to see Ellie walking up to me, an expectant look on her face. "What are you talking about?" I said in what I hoped was an innocent voice, and she scoffed. "Oh please, Anna. Everyone saw you and Harry at the airport today, and you've been making eyes at each other all night. So what gives? Do you know each other or what?" She said, and I sighed, taking another sip of my drink. "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you." I said in a resigned voice, and Ellie's face softened a little. "Anna, I might think you sound a little wacky sometimes - you're an elementary school teacher. You're all a little wacky upstairs. But you're my friend, I'll always give you the benefit of the doubt. Just tell me, please?" She said and I bit my lip, trying to figure out the best way to say it.

"Well...okay. I had a dream last night. And it was a long dream, like the timeline of the dream was six years." I said, and Ellie raised an eyebrow but gestured for me to continue. "It started in the airport, just like today. You and I were picking up Josh and his friends. The boys. I met Harry, just like today, and he flirted with me. Time went on, and we fell in love. So deeply in love, in fact, that I dropped everything and moved to London to live with him. We dated, we got engaged, we got married, and we had two children named Emma and James. It was so incredibly real, I didn't think for a second that I was dreaming, and the feelings were so intense and real that when I woke up and realized it was a dream, I started crying. Mostly because..." I said, trailing off. "You thought it was real and that you had finally found that one great love you've always dreamed about." Ellie finished gently. I nodded, downing the rest of my drink, relishing in the burn of the tequila. "And I know this sounds crazy, but the way Harry reacted to seeing me in the airport and the fact that he knew my name, it makes me think that he had the same dream." I whispered, afraid of how crazy it sounded coming out of my mouth. Ellie pursed her lips, glancing back at Harry who was talking with Josh and Niall by the bar. "It's not the craziest thing I've ever heard, but it's up there. And it's also not out of the realm of possibility. The mind is a crazy thing." Ellie said, and I rolled my eyes good-naturedly. "Please don't analyze me, Miss-I-Majored-In-Psychology." I laughed, gasping indignantly when Ellie pinched me. "Whatever, honey. But trust me, even though you sound like a wacko, I think there's something going on here too." Ellie said, squeezing my hand before walking over to the bar to join her fiance. I sighed, leaning against the railing and looking out at the glowing lights of my hometown. After having such an incredible dream where I saw places I had only dreamed of and lived a life I never believed I'd be lucky enough or privileged enough to have, the idea of staying in the town I had grown up in for the rest of my life seemed far less appealing.

"Buy you a drink?"

I held my breath as I turned around, biting back a smile when I saw Harry standing there with a sheepish grin on his face, a beer in one hand and a fresh strawberry kiwi margarita in the other. "I saw you finish yours up, figured you'd like another." He said and I nodded, taking the drink gratefully. "Thanks, Harry." I said, taking a sip as he came to stand next to me at the railing. "So, what do you think of Durham so far?" I said casually, trying to make small talk. Harry took a sip of his beer, shrugging. "It seems pretty nice. Not really what I pictured when Josh said he was having his wedding in the American South." He admitted and I snorted. "What did you imagine, farms and racism? There are cities in the South, you know." I teased, and Harry's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Something like that." He admitted and I laughed, shaking my head. "You need to explore a little more of this place, trust me. You'll fall in love with it." I said as I surveyed the cityscape below me, but when I turned to look at Harry, I was caught off-guard by the way he was looking at me - like a person who's lived in New York City their entire life but is finally seeing the stars in the desert at night. "Pretty sure I already have." He murmured, and I knew that we weren't talking about the same thing anymore. We stared at each other for a moment, seemingly lost for words. I away from his, the intensity of the moment getting to me and I began to feel like I was struggling for air in a room filled with oxygen. I looked back up at him, into those gorgeous eyes, thinking for a second that maybe it wasn't just a dream or something just like the fairytales - maybe my happily ever after wasn't as out of reach as I thought, but the fear of being seen as crazy still held me back from what I really wanted to say. "Harry..." I said quietly, and he moved closer to me so that our hands brushed against each other on the railing and our shoulders were touching. "Do you believe that things happen for a reason? And sometimes things happen for reasons that we can't quite explain?" I asked tentatively, and Harry nodded. "I don't subscribe to coincidence." He said simply, and I laughed weakly. "So it's no coincidence that you knew who I was in the airport today?" I said, taking a proverbial leap of faith.

Harry was quiet for a second, obviously thinking through his words before speaking. "You're from Sicily. You came here as a child with your mum, but you've always wanted to go back to Italy. You miss it." He said, and I felt like the air had been knocked out of my lungs. "You believe in fairy tales, and you hope for true love even though you never had something in your life to model it after. You're such a realist though, it's almost painful, but you're a dreamer at heart." I stared at him, becoming choked up with emotion as I listened to him talk. I took a deep breath, looking at his face illuminated by the city lights and building my courage before speaking. "You doubt yourself even though everyone around you is always telling you that you're talented and capable. You believe that love is what matters most in this world. Your mom taught you that." I said, and Harry grabbed my hand in his, taking a sharp breath at my words. "You're so devoted to your family and the people you love, and you want what you and I never had - you want a normal, loving family of your own." I said, hesitating a little, but then mentally saying 'fuck it'. "You want Emma and James." I whispered, and Harry's eyes widened as he stared at me. "Anna." He breathed, and I knew that I was right. He and I had had the same dream. "Tell me I'm not crazy. Tell me you dreamed about fighting in our kitchen about trusting each other, about meeting my mother and you struggled to speak a word of Italian, about proposing in Hyde Park; just tell me you dreamed about these things and that I'm not losing my mind right now." I said, my voice cracking under the weight of my emotions. Harry pulled me against his chest and I melted into the familiar warmth, his arms wrapping around me just like they had in my dream. "You're not crazy. The night you told me we were having a baby girl, we made love in Rome. I took you to Paris for our honeymoon and wished that those two weeks would never end. You wrote lesson plans while I wrote songs. You supported me no matter what was happening, and you believed in me more than anyone else in my life ever has. You're not crazy, Princess, I remember it all." Harry said and when he called me Princess something clicked in me, and I stood on tiptoe and kissed him. Harry didn't hesitate in responding immediately, moving his lips against mine and tightening his hold on me. I heard a quiet "what the fuck!" from our group's table and I rolled my eyes inwardly, knowing it was Ellie.

When we broke apart, I could see a light in Harry's eyes that hadn't been there before and the look he was giving me made a blush spread across my cheeks. "Fuck, that's even more beautiful than I dreamed." He whispered, and I laughed quietly. "Is this real? Are you real? I'm not dreaming again?" Harry murmured and I smiled, playing with the hair on the nape of his neck. "Why don't you kiss me again and see?" I said flirtily and Harry grinned and leaned down, kissing me deeply. He felt exactly he had in my dream - safe, warm, familiar, but now it was so very real. His hands began to slide, one of them moving up my back to pull me closer, and the other dancing across the waistband of my jean shorts, dangerously close to my ass. "Behave yourself." I said in a warning voice but I wasn't able to keep the smile off my face. Harry gave me a cheeky grin and pecked my forehead. "Sorry, love. Couldn't resist." We stood there for a moment, not letting go of one another but not saying anything. "Can we go somewhere and talk?" I said quietly and Harry nodded, taking my hand and leading me towards the stairs. I turned and saw our friends staring at us incredulously except for Ellie - she had the biggest damn smirk on her face. I sent her a wink just as Harry and I disappeared into the stairwell.

\-----

Hours later, Harry and I were sat in my backyard, curled up on the outdoor couch as the smoldering remains of a bonfire slowly burned out in the firepit in front of us. It wasn't quite nighttime still, but not yet morning - the sky was turning a lighter shade of midnight blue, signaling that the sun would soon be coming up. We had been talking all night, about anything and everything - our fears, our secrets, our likes and dislikes, our hopes and dreams. Everything that we had shared in our dream life, but in a little more detail than a blurred memory from the night before. We had scooted closer and closer over the course of the night until I had my legs draped over his lap and my head on his shoulder. I shivered a little in the early morning chill and Harry pulled me closer, wrapping his arm tighter around me so that I was practically in his lap, tucked against his chest. "So where do we go from here exactly?" I asked, and Harry chuckled. "Honestly, I'm trying to figure out how we skip to the part where we're married with three beautiful children." I looked up at him in confusion, raising an eyebrow. "Three? We only had two." Harry shook his head. "No, we had three. Emma, James, and Madeline but we called her Maddie." Harry said and I stared at him. "My alarm went off...I woke up right after James was born, I never saw anything past that." I said in a shaky voice and Harry smiled, reaching his hand up to tuck my hair behind my ear, holding my face. "I came home from work, and the house was quiet. I yelled your name and you said that you were in the kitchen so I came in, kissed you, and asked where our two little loves were. You said that you had sent them to stay with my sister for the night because we needed to enjoy a night of quiet before we have three sets of feet running 'round the house." He said quietly and I stayed silent, tears springing up in the corners of my eyes. "Of course, I didn't understand because subtlety was never my strong suit. So you took my hand and placed it on your stomach, and gave me that damn smile that could melt ice and those bloody eyes that make me want to bend you over something, and told me, 'This is the third time I've told you something like this, Harry, pull it together'. Then I figured it out and we laughed and cried and kissed and celebrated. She was born three days after Christmas in the middle of a snowstorm - just like her big brother." Harry finished and I covered my mouth, suddenly overcome with emotion. Harry pulled my hand away and lowered his face to mine, kissing me slowly.

"This is crazy. This is so crazy. How often does stuff like this actually happen?" I said in a hushed, breathless voice. Harry shrugged, brushing his thumb back and forth across my cheek as he cradled my jaw in his hand. "I don't know. But I don't believe in accidental meetings between souls." Harry said, and I bit my lip as I looked into his suddenly serious eyes. I knew that we were both thinking the same thing - that we were meant to find each other. We were soulmates. Suddenly the world felt a little bit smaller and quieter, and Harry was the only thing I could see. "I want to give this a chance. Us, I mean. I want to give us a chance." I said quietly, playing with the buttons on Harry's shirt. "I don't believe that you and I met by accident either, and I want to see what kind of a life we can build together - if it's anything like the one we dreamed about. But I'm not silly enough to think that this will be easy, I know we'll have to work and make compromises and sacrifices, but I think it's worth it. I think we're worth it." I said, and Harry gave me that stupid sweet smile that could melt my heart in an instant. "It would be an honor to get to fall in love with you all over again." Harry said and I grinned, wrapping my arms around his neck and hugging him tightly, closing my eyes as he pulled me close and buried his face in the crook of my neck. The fact that any of this was happening blew my mind, but it gave me a swelling feeling in my chest - hope. Hope that maybe true love wasn't so out of reach for me and that happy endings really do exist. I felt the sun warm my face as it peeked through the tall trees in my backyard and I smiled softly, knowing that from now on I wouldn't be facing each new day by myself; I would have my soulmate by my side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all, folks. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for sticking with this story to the very end. It was my baby for such a long time and now it's all grown up and out in the world. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Let me know if you'd like to see more works like this. Love y'all. - H xx


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